ACRES  O 

»4O  PACIFIC  AVENUE 

'  ONO    BEACH    CALIF 


BY 


CHICAGO: 

E.    A.    WEEKS    &    COMPANY, 
521-531    WABASH    AVE. 


COPYRIGHT,    1896, 

BY   B.    A.    WEEKS   &    CO., 

CHICAGO. 


DEDICATED 

TO 
MY  MOTHER. 


"MIZPAH," 

— GEN.  XXXI,  49. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH 


CHAPTER    I. 

"Life — a  volume  of  one  edition." 

"In  eighteen  hundred  sixty-five, 

This  very  month  and  day, 
Winking  and  blinking  at  the  light 

A  little  baby  lay." 

She  is  Lavinia,  therefore  must  be  loved. 

— Titus  Andronicus. 

She  was  indeed  a  welcome  visitor,  dain- 
tily embroidered  garments  were  waiting  to 
enfold  her,  and  as  she  lay  upon  the  snowy 
whiteness,  she  seemed  like  a  dewdrop,  so 
bright  her  eyes.  She  was  a  perfect  baby 
as  the  nurse  put  her  in  the  tiny  scales  to 
be  weighed. 

The  first  present  after  the  arrival  of  "my 
ladie,"  was  a  dozen  pair  of  crocheted  shoes, 


6  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

in  delicate  tints,  with  these  verses,  which 
seemed  so  appropriate: 

"Two  tiny  feet,  so  small  that  both  may  nestle 

in  one  caressing  hand, 
Two  tiny  feet,  upon  the  untried  border 

Of  life's  mysterious  land. 
Dimpled  and  soft  and  pink  as  peach-tree  blossoms 

In  April's  fragrant  days; 
How  can  they  walk  among  the  briery  tangles 

Edging  the  world's  rough  ways." 

"The  bairn  that  is  born  on  the  Sabbath  day 
Is  blithe  and  bonny  and  good  and  gay." 

Such  laughing  blue  eyes,  such  a  happy 
smile,  such  dimples  attracted  every  one. 
The  first  tooth,  the  first  word,  the  first  step 
were  of  more  interest  to  her  parents,  who 
watched  with  eagerness  the  development 
of  their  rosebud. 

When  Lavinia  was  only  three  months 
old,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erskin  moved  to  the 
Badger  State,  a  long  journey  for  one  so 
young,  and  destined  to  change  the  life  of 
the  little  stranger.  Mr.  Erskin  had  heard 
of  the  excellent  opportunity  to  purchase 


THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH.  7 

pine  land  near  Oshkosh,  and  although 
Mrs.  Erskin  was  almost  frightened  by  the 
dreadful  name,  she  was  willing  to  go  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth,  if  for  her  husband's 
best  interests. 

Upon  the  cultivated  and  sensitive  ear  of 
a  Bostonian,  the  name  Oshkosh  falls  with 
a  harsh,  grating  sound,  suggestive  of  wild 
Indians;  to  some  of  our  ancestors,  who 
have  always  lived  under  the  brow  of  the 
White  Mountains,  and  never  traveled  far- 
ther than  the  "Hub,"  the  city  with  the 
dreadful  name  seems  out  of  the  world ;  but 
to  the  average  American,  the  name  Osh- 
kosh calls  to  mind  a  progressive  little  city 
of  nearly  30,000  inhabitants,  with  paved 
streets,  electric  lights  and  all  the  modern 
improvements;  also  a  Normal  school, Opera 
house,  Government  building  and  a  beauti- 
fully planned  park,  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Winnebago. 

The  people  are  mostly  from  New  Eng- 


8  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

land;  they  decided  to  take  Horace  Gree- 
ley's  advice,  and  are  not  sorry  they  did  so. 
A  great  many  have  become  wealthy,  built 
fine  residences  and  enjoy  life  as  much  as 
any  class.  Oshkosh  is  noted,  far  and  wide, 
for  its  hospitality  and  —  pretty  girls. 
Several  years  ago,  an  article  appeared 
in  a  New  York  paper,  claiming  that  Osh- 
kosh was  a  myth,  there  really  was  no  such 
place;  but  it  hardly  caused  a  ripple  on  the 
surface  of  Lake  Winnebago,  and  the  sun- 
set rays  continued  to  light  up  the  tall 
spires  of  as  prosperous  a  city  as  it  ever 
illumined.  Recently  an  Eastern  paper 
said,  "The  great,  famous,  and  popular  city 
of  Oshkosh  rings  through  the  world,  with 
even  a  louder  note  than  Persepolis  or 
Babylon.  There  may  be  men  in  Oshkosh 
itself  who  never  heard  of  Babylon  or  Per- 
sepolis; but  where  is  the  man  who  has 
not  heard  of  Oshkosh?  The  poet  who 
thought  there  was  nothing  in  a  name,  and 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  9 

that  a  rose  by  any  other  nomenclature 
would  smell  as  sweet,  lived  and  died  be- 
fore he  ever  heard  the  name  of  Oshkosh. 
If  he  had  had  the  liquid-sounding  name 
of  Oshkosh  before  him,  he  probably  would 
never  have  penned  the  compliment  to  the 
fragrant  rose." 

Such  was  the  home  of  Lavinia's  child- 
hood. Her  parents  were  of  English  de- 
scent. Many  years  ago,  in  one  of  the  small, 
New  England  villages,  nestled  among  the 
hills  of  the  Green  Mountain  State,  there 
lived  a  doctor,  who,  for  more  than  forty 
years,  visited  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich; 
when  the  other  doctors  would  not  go, 
pleading  other  calls,  the  poor  family  knew 
that  if  they  sent  for  Ethan  Nelson  their 
distress  would  be  relieved.  On  the  Sab- 
bath, with  a  clear  conscience,  he  worshiped 
the  Lord  and  led  the  singing  in  the  little 
white  meeting-house.  He  had  a  family  of 
eight  children,  the  eldest,  a  daughter  Mar- 


10  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

garet,  who  resembled  her  father  in  many 
ways.  Her  kind  heart  and  cheerful  dis- 
position made  the  "doctor's  oldest  daugh- 
ter" a  general  favorite. 

Her  grandmother,  on  her  mother's  side, 
was  a  sister  of  the  hero,  Nathan  Hale, 
whose  last  words  will  ever  ring  through 
the  corridors  of  time.  Her  father's  mother 
was  one  of  the  family,  made  famous  by  the 
victory  on  Lake  Erie. 

While  visiting  an  aunt  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, she  met  James  Erskin,  tall,  dark, 
black  hair,  aquiline  nose;  her  exact  oppo- 
site, she  being  fair,  with  blue  eyes,  flaxen 
hair,  and  red  cheeks,  so  common  in  those 
days;  but  rarely  seen  now,  without  arti- 
ficial aid.  His  ancestors  also  claimed 
Kevolutionary  fame.  His  grandfather,  a 
relative  of  John  Adams,  was  wounded  in 
a  battle  of  the  Kevolution,  and  left  for 
dead;  but,  consciousness  returning,  he 
crawled  near  a  fallen  tree,  and  covered 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  11 

himself  with  leaves — it  was  October — fear- 
ing the  British  might  march  that  way. 
Before  long  he  heard  the  dogs,  and  gave 
himself  up  for  a  dead  man.  However,  he 
resolved  to  try  holding  his  breath,  having 
heard  that  dogs  and  bears  won't  touch  a 
man  apparently  dead,  and  to  his  relief  he 
found  they  passed  him  by.  The  next  day 
he  was  picked  up  by  some  of  his  men,  who 
were  after  supplies,  and  rescued  from  a 
sad  fate — otherwise  this  story  might  never 
have  been  written. 

Hair-breadth  escapes  seemed  to  occur 
frequently  in  his  family;  he  often  dwelt 
on  a.  strange  experience,  in  his  mother's 
life,  and  he  was  led  to  exclaim,  "How  great 
and  wonderful  are  Thy  ways,  O  Lord."  His 
father  went  back  to  England  for  his  bride, 
and  for  ten  years  they  lived  at  the  old 
homestead,  about  twenty  miles  from  the 
Scotch  border. 

One  September  day,  after  a  short  illness, 


12  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

his  mother  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  lit- 
tle church-yard,  yonder.  That  night,  two 
men  went  to  the  grave  to  get  a  valuable 
ring  that  was  left  on  her  finger;  it  had 
been  in  the  family  for  several  generations, 
and  was  given  to  the  eldest  daughter,  but 
as  she  had  no  children,  it  was  allowed  to 
remain  on  her  finger. 

The  moon  was  partly  hidden  behind  a 
bank  of  clouds,  and  cast  a  few  shimmering 
beams  on  the  newly-made  grave.  As  they 
lifted  the  first  shovelful  of  dirt,  the  wierd- 
ness  of  the  scene  came  over  them — they 
glanced  around,  ancl  the  moonbeams 
seemed  to  change  the  white  stones  into 
beckoning  figures.  This  was  their  first  ex- 
perience in  work  of  this  kind,  and  their 
hearts  almost  failed  them;  but  as  there 
were  two  of  them,  their  courage  returned, 
and  in  whispers  they  said  there  was  no 
reason  why  they  should  not  take  the  ring; 
it  would  do  no  one  any  good  as  it  was,  and 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  13 

when  they  reached  America  they  could 
realize  a  round  sum,  for  it  was  an  emerald 
of  great  value  and  the  setting  was  of  rare 
design.  They  intended  starting  for  Liv- 
erpool that  night  and  sail  on  the  first 
steamer.  They  had  only  money  enough 
for  their  passage,  hence  the  bold  deed. 

"God  works  in  a  mysterious  way."  They 
quickly  removed  the  dirt  and  unscrewed 
the  lid;  but  as  they  glanced  at  the  pale 
face,  a  shudder  ran  through  their  frames. 
In  cutting  the  ring,  they  cut  her  finger, 
which  started  the  blood,  and  as  it  proved  to 
be  that  she  was  only  in  a  trance,  she  raised 
up  m  the  coffin.  The  men,  wild  with 
fright,  flung  down  their  tools  and  took  to 
their  heels.  The  moon  had  seemed  to  be  in 
league  with  them,  by  trying  to  hide  their 
dark  deed;  but  as  soon  as  she  raised  her- 
self and  sat  bewildered  at  being  brought 
back  to  life — a  queer  sensation  it  certainly 
must  be — the  silvery  rays  lit  up  the  land- 
scape and  seemed  to  cheer  her,  for  she  im- 


14  THE  GIRL  PROM  QSHKOSH. 

mediately  rose  and  walked  home  in  her 
grave  clothes,  a  lonely  walk,  although  a 
short  one.  As  her  husband  heard  her  step 
on  the  gravel  walk,  he  thought  to  himself, 
if  Mary  hadn't  been  buried  this  afternoon, 
I  surely  should  think  it  was  she.  The  old- 
fashioned  brass  knocker  sounded,  and  when 
he  went  to  the  door,  he  beheld  his  wife. 

She  lived  many  years  after  this  occur- 
rence, and  had  two  sons,  James  and  John; 
the  latter,  being  a  noted  scholar,  wrote 
several  famous  books.  James  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  New  Hampshire, 
just  across  the  river  from  the  home  of  ©r. 
Nelson.  At  skating  parties  on  the  Connecti- 
cut or  sleigh-rides  he  always  saw  Mar- 
garet, and  as  she  was  usually  the  life  of  the 
party,  he  naturally  enough  fell  in  love  with 
her,  and  resolved  to  win  the  prize.  After 
a  quiet  wedding,  they  moved  to  New  York, 
where  Mr.  Erskin  was  president  ef  a  lum- 
ber company,  and  where  Lavinia  was 
born. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  15 


CHAPTER    II. 

"The  world  is  an  oyster;  how  are  you  going  to 
open  yours?" 

During  the  first  five  years  in  their  new 
home,  two  more  children  were  added  to 
their  number,  a  daughter  and  a  son;  but 
before  the  close  of  the  next  year,  Mrs.  Ers- 
kin  was  left  a  widow,  her  husband  and  son 
having  died  of  typhoid  fever,  which  raged 
that  summer  and  had  a  great  many  vic- 
tims. Mrs.  Erskin  thus  bereft,  managed  to 
supply  the  necessaries  of  life,  through  the 
kindness  of  friends,  who  furnished  her 
with  plain  sewing  and  embroidery. 

At  eight  years  of  age  Lavinia  began  her 
school  life.  The  next  year,  a  picnic  of  all 
the  city  schools  was  held  at  the  High 
School  grove;  they  marched  to  three  bands 
of  music — five  thousand  children  in  line. 


16  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

When  the  superintendent  came  to  choose 
the  speakers,  he  asked  Lavinia  if  she  would 
represent  her  ward.  At  noon  she  came  fly- 
ing home  faster  than  "Pegasus"  could  have 
borne  her,  and  bursting  into  the  room 
where  her  mother  sat  sewing,  she  cried, 
"Oh!  mother,  I  am  chosen  to  speak  at  the 
picnic;  but  what  can  I  wear?  My  blue 
dress  is  so  worn.  But  then,  mamma,  I 
rather  speak  well,  and  wear  my  old  dress." 

Mamma,  who  always  had  a  comforting 
thought,  said:  "Cheer  up,  dear.  Lavinia 
shall  have  mamma's  wedding  dress;  you 
know  it  is  a  pretty,  white  Swiss  muslin, 
and  just  the  thing." 

When  the  day  came,  no  happier  child 
was  in  the  procession,  and  when  she  came 
forward  on  the  platform,  her  voice  rang 
out  loud  and  clear: 

"Wanted — a  tenement  down  in  the  city. 

Parlor  and  dining-room,  kitchen  and  hall, 
Sitting-room,  library,  cosy  and  pretty, 
Room  in  the  basement,  when  washing  day  falls." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  17 

She  sat  amid  the  cheers  of  the  throng, 
and  the  superintendent  said,  "Well  done, 
Lavinia." 

The  younger  sister,  Lucile,  was  a  bright, 
obedient  child;  but  the  mother's  comfort 
was  always  Lavinia, — she  was  very  kind 
and  thoughtful  for  a  child,  and  very  apt 
in  her  studies. 

In  the  summer  of  187 —  Mrs.  Erskin  de- 
cided to  sell  her  little  home  and  move  back 
to  her  New  England  friends.  Lavinia's 
heart  was  nearly  broken  at  the  thought  of 
leaving  Chellis  Cranford,  her  constant 
companion.  They  staid  a  few  mouths  with 
Mrs.  Erskin's  brother,  Mr.  Abbott,  at  Con- 
cord. He  was  like  a  father  to  Lavinia, — he 
told  her  that  he  would  pay  all  her  expenses 
at  Harvard  Annex,  if  she  would  pass  the 
examinations  when  sixteen.  His  store  was 
in  Boston;  he  went  down  every  morning 
and  back  at  night,  so  that  he  saw  very  lit- 
tle of  his  children  except  Sundays.  Dick, 


18  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

the  most  precocious  of  them  all,  came  in 
to  his  mother,  one  day,  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  his  cheeks. 

"Mamma,  that  man  out  by  the  gate 
whipped  me." 

"What  man  out  by  the  gate?" 

"Why,  that  man  out  by  the  gate  that 
stays  here  Sundays." 

When  only  three  he  ran  away,  and  it 
was  nearly  an  hour  before  the  nurse  found 
him.  His  mother  thought  for  Dick's  good 
she  must  punish  him  in  some  way;  but  'ere 
she  had  decided  what  punishment  was  best 
he  crawled  through  a  small  space  at  the 
end  of  the  piazza,  and  as  the  nurse  couldn't 
get  him  to  come  out  he  remained  there  un- 
til his  father  came  back  from  a  drive.  Upon 
being  informed  of  Dick's  conduct,  his 
"pater  familias"  immediately  proceeded  to 
bring  Dick  forth.  When  he  saw  his  father's 
difficulty  in  getting  through  the  hole,  he 
turned  to  him  and  exclaimed:  "Hello!  pa, 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  19 

is  that  woman  after  you,  too?"  It  is  need- 
less to  say  that  Dick  wasn't  punished  until 
"to-morrow." 

At  school,  the  boys  called  him  Sandy,  on 
account  of  his  auburn  locks.  He  conld 
stand  that;  but  one  day  a  big  boy  said: 
"Say,  Dick,  did  you  have  the  scarlet  fever 
and  it  settled  in  your  hair?"  This  was  too 
much*,  Straightening  up,  he  replied: 

"If  I  am  smaller  than  you  are,  you  had 
better  look  out,  or  there  will  be  singing 
at  your  house  and  you  won't  hear  it." 

Mrs.  Erskin  enjoyed  their  return  to  her 
native  hills,  and  the  autumn  found  them 
nicely  settled  in  a  vine-covered  cottage,  in 
Cambridge. 

The  four  years  spent  in  the  High  School 
in  Boston  were  well  improved,  and  with 
some  extra  study  at  home,  Lavinia  passed 
the  highest  of  the  one  hundred  girls  who 
took  the  examination. 

Although  Mrs.  Erskin  had  to  w*rk  early 


20  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

and  late  with  her  needle  all  these  years, 
she  found  time  to  give  the  children  music; 
of  course  she  couldn't  afford  a,  teacher.  She 
was  capable  of  giving  them  instruction,  as 
previous  to  her  marriage  she  had  spent 
three  years  at  Music  Vale  Seminary,  in 
Salem,  Conn.  Both  children  loved  music, 
and  with  the  natural  talent  and  the  les- 
sons their  mother  could  give  them,  they 
progressed  so  rapidly  that  after  Lavinia 
entered  college,  she  obtained  a  class  of 
twenty — mostly  children  of  her  friends, 
who  knew  how  deserving  she  was. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  21 


CHAPTER    III. 

When  God  formed  the  rose  he  said,  "Thou  shalt 
flourish  and  spread  thy  perfume."  When  he  com- 
manded the  sun  to  emerge  from  chaos,  he  added, 
"Thou  shalt  enlighten  and  warm  the  world."  When 
he  gave  life  to  the  lark,  he  enjoined  upon  it  to  soar 
and  sing  in  the  air.  Finally  he  created  man  and 
told  him  to  love.  And  seeing  the  sun  shine,  per- 
ceiving the  rose  scattering  its  odors,  hearing  the  lark 
warble  in  the  air,  how  can  man  help  loving? 

— Grun. 

FATE. 

Two  shall  be  born  the  whole,  wide  world  apart 

And  speak  in  different  tongues  and  have  no  tho't 

Each  of  the  other's  being,  and  no  need; 

And  these,  o'er  unknown  seas  to  unknown  lands 

Shall  cross,  escaping  wreck,  defying  death, 

And  all  unconsciously  shape  every  act 

And  bend  each  wandering  step  to  this  one  end — 

That,  one  day,  out  of  darkness,  they  shall  meet 

And  read  life's  meaning  in  each  other's  eyes. 

And  two  shall  walk  some  narrow  way  of  life 

So  nearly  side  by  side,  that  should  one  turn 

Ever  so  little  space  to  left  or  right 

They  needs  must  stand  acknowledged  face  te  face, 

And  yet,  with  wistful  eyes  that  never  meet, 


22  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

With  groping  hands  that  never  clasp,  and  lips 
Calling  in  vain  to  ears  that  never  hear, 
They  seek  each  other  all  their  weary  days 
And  die  unsatisfied — and  this  is  fate. 

— Susan  Marr  Spalding. 

During  the  second  jear  at  college, 
Lavinia  met  Ammi  Wright  at  one  of  the 
boat  races.  She  admired  his  gentlemanly 
ways  and  his  face,  so  expressive  of  char- 
acter. They  met  several  times  without  be- 
coming much  acquainted,  until  one  day 
Lavinia  was  caught  in  a  rain  storm  —  a 
sudden  April  shower.  Mr.  Wright  was 
crossing  the  street,  just  as  she  reached  the 
corner  and  seeing  that  she  was  unprotect- 
ed, he  gallantly  offered  his  umbrella,  and 
jokingly  said,  "May  I  be  your  'rain  beau'?" 
With  ready  wit,  she  replied:  "Yes,  and  I 
will  be  your  'rain  dear.' " 

Upon  reaching  her  home,  it  rained  so 
hard  that  he  came  in  for  a  few  minutes 
until  the  shower  had  passed.  He  had  such 
a  pleasant  call,  that  he  asked  permission 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  23 

to  come  again.  'Twas  Fate.  The  old,  old 
story;  the  friendship  soon  ripened  into 
love.  He  was  treasurer  of  a  large  paper 
company;  but  although  his  salary  was 
large,  his  parents  had  recently  lost  all 
their  property,  and  Lavinia  admired  him 
for  wishing  to  help  them;  then,  too,  she 
wanted  to  finish  college  before  thinking 
seriously  of  matrimony. 

The  girls  would  say  te  her:  "Ammi 
Wright  or  Ammi  Wrong?"  but  she  was 
certain  that  life  without  him  "would  a 
weary  journey  be." 

The  following  June  the  company  opened 
a  large  branch  office  in  Melbourne,  Aus- 
tralia, and  as  he  was  such  a  trustworthy 
young  man  and  financial  manager  they 
prevailed  upon  him  to  accept  the  position 
by  increasing  his  salary  to  six  thousand  a 
year.  His  parents  were  ready  to  go,  hop- 
ing to  start  life  anew,  and  as  he  and 
Lavinia  had  had  a  little  misunderstand- 


24  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

ing,  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment  he  said 
he  would  go,  regretting  it,  however,  before 
he  had  been  two  days  at  sea;  but  being 
naturally  proud,  he  resolved  not  to  write. 

"Comes  a  little  cloudlet 

'Twixt  ourselves  and  heaven, 
See  how  on  the  river, 

Fades  the  silver  track. 
Put  thine  arms  around  me, 

Whisper  low  'forgiven,' 
See  how  on  the  river, 

Starlight  settles  back." 

Lavinia  lost  her  usual  cheerful  manner, 
but  Mrs.  Erskin  said  to  her:  "It  is  only  one 
of  life's  lessons  that  you  must  learn."  Her 
mother  was  much  relieved  upon  receiving 
an  urgent  invitation  for  Lavinia  to  accom- 
pany Mr.  Winship's  family  to  their  sum- 
mer home  at  Newport.  Lavinia  met  them 
while  visiting  her  aunt's  family,  in  Con- 
cord. He  was  a  wealthy  carriage  manu- 
facturer; they  had  no  children  and  were 
attracted  to  Lavinia  by- her  many  bright 
sayings  and  pleasant  manner.  Their  adopt- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  25 

ed  daughter  and  Lavinia  soon  became  fast 
friends. 

"I  would  like  to  accept  the  invitation," 
she  said  to  her  mother,  "then  I'll  forget  for 
a  while  at  least  how  lonely  I  am.  I  wish 
'Pandora'  hadn't  opened  the  box,  then 
there  wouldn't  be  so  many  little  troubles 
flying  around." 

She  wrote  Marie  that  she  couldn't  ac- 
cept on  account  ©f  her  wardrobe,  which 
was  net  suitable  for  a  place  like  Newport. 
"Why,  riding,  tennis,  parties,  etc.,  will  re- 
quire a  new  dress  every  day,  and  y@u  know 
the  only  nice  dress  I  have  is  that  black 
mull."  Marie's  letter  was  consoling. 
"Never  mind,"  she  said,  "I  would  rather 
have  your  cheerful  disposition  than  all  my 
nice  clothes." 

So  at  last  it  was  arranged  that  she  would 
spend  July  with  them.  Mrs.  Erskin  and 
Lucile  went  to  Vermont  to  visit  the  old 
homestead  on  the  Connecticut,  only  one 


26  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

brother  remaining  of  what  was  once  such 
a  happy  home. 

Upon  reaching  Newport,  Lavinia  was 
met  by  the  Winship  carriage,  drawn  by  the 
handsomest  span  of  chestnut  horses  — 
Gold-dust  and  Fear-naught.  Marie  was  de- 
lighted to  see  her  friend  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Winship  greeted  her  kindly,  saying:  "Wel- 
come to  our  elder  daughter." 

The  house  was  a  large  stone  mansion, 
overlooking  the  sea.  The  room  prepared 
for  Lavinia  would  be  the  delight  of  any 
girl's  heart — a  corner  room  near  the  ocean, 
where  she  said  she  could  "watch  old  ocean 
indulge  in  storms  for  Svreck-reation.' " 

Everything  was  in  pink,  Marie  knowing 
that  to  be  her  favorite  color.  The  large 
arch  window  was  draped  with  pink  chiffon 
over  satin,  and  nothing  was  forgotten, 
from  the  well-filled  bookcase,  with  Lavin- 
ia's  favorite  books, — "Lucile,"  "Polly  Oli- 
ver's Problem,"  "On  the  Heights,"  "Sara- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  27 

cinesca,"  "The  Last  American,"  -  -  to  the 
dainty  little  writing  desk. 

"Oh,  Marie,  how  kind  and  thoughtful  to 
prepare  such  a  haven  of  rest.  I  shall  sure- 
ly be  able  to  write  poetry  if  I  have  such  a 
'flowery  bed  of  ease.'  " 

The  first  summer  at  the  seashore  was 
like  a  dream  to  the  fair  Oshkosh  maid.  The 
mornings  were  spent  painting  sea-shells, 
with  a  plunge  in  the  surf,  just  before  lunch. 
In  the  afternoon  Mr.  Winship's  carriage 
was  to  be  seen  on  the  boulevards.  The 
evenings  were  spent  at  garden  parties,  or 
soirees,  such  as  the  bon-ton  of  Newport  at- 
tend, to  which  the  Winships  had  always 
been  invited  on  account  of  their  social  po- 
sition. They  were  royal  entertainers,  too, 
always  giving  at  least  one  large  party  dur- 
ing the  season.  The  one  this  summer  was 
Marie's  debut.  The  decorations  were  in 
white. 


28  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

"The  Lord  of  Heaven  bless  thee,  dear, 

On  this,  thy  natal  day; 
And  keep  thee  in  His  love  and  fear 

And  guide  thee  on  thy  way." 

The  evening  was  an  ideal  one,  a  perfect 
July  night,  warm  and  balmy,  with  the  full 
moon  flooding  the  earth  with  silvery  light. 

The  Winships  did  things  magnificently, 
and  no  one  was  disappointed.  Through 
the  large  conservatories,  opening  on  the 
lawn,  were  scattered  divans  and  tete-a- 
tetes,  making  a  fairy-like  spot  for  "Love's 
37oung  dream"  to  rest  beneath  the  palms. 
The  wide  staircase  was  lined  with  footmen 
in  livery,  standing  motionless  as  the  guests 
passed  up.  The  ceilings  of  the  great  hall 
had  been  recently  decorated  by  the  most 
famous  painters,  while  a  thousand  candles 
shed  a  soft,  rich  light. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  29 

Marie  wore  a  white  mull  and  Lavinia  her 
black  mull,  their  only  ornaments  being  dia- 
mond star  pendants.  When  Marie  opened 
the  box  containing  her  present,  she  found 
two  stars  instead  of  one,  and  a  card,  say- 
ing: "For  my  two  daughters."  They  re- 
ceived with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winship. 

The  art  gallery  was  open  to  those  who 
did  not  care  for  the  "mazy  waltz,"  and  the 
music  room  and  dance  hall  were  thrown 
open  into  one.  Before  the  dancing  began, 
Lavinia  was  to  sing  three  or  four  selec- 
tions. The  first  was,  "For  All  Eternity/1 
by  Macheroni,  with  harp  accompaniment; 
then  "Ma  Voisine,"  by  A.  Goring  Thomas; 
and  two  little  songs  by  Jessie  Gaynor, 
"Sleep  Song,"  and  "And  I?" 

"The  bright  stars  are  shining  in  heaven, 
The  waters  flow  down  to  the  sea, 
The  flowers  are  dreaming  of  sunshine, 
And  I — I  am  dreaming  of  thee. 

The  soft  wind  is  kissing  the  rose 

To  dry  up  her  tear-drops  of  dew, 

The  linden  boughs  shed  their  sweet  perfume, 

And  I? — I  am  thinking  of  you 


30  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

At  evening,  at  morn  or  at  noontide, 
All  night,  and  the  whole  day-time  through 
'Mid  the  throng,  or  alone  in  the  silence, 
Forever — I  am  thinking  of  you." 

One  of  the  audience  was  Earl  Edmunds, 
who  was  visiting  the  Van  Slykes,  and 
came  as  their  guest.  She  sang  the  last 
song  from  the  heart — thinking  of  Ammi 
so  far  away — and  it  played  on  his  heart- 
strings, as  no  voice  ever  had.  If  Lavinia 
were  free,  he  resolved  that  she  should  be- 
come Mrs.  Edmunds. 

So  many  crowded  around  to  offer  con- 
gratulations, that  it  was  some  time  before 
he  found  an  opportunity  to  say,  "Miss  Ers- 
kin,  I  hope  you  will  sing  that  last  song 
again  for  me,  and  sing  it  with  as  much 
feeling  as  you  did  to-night." 

"While  I  sang  I  was  thinking  of  an  ab- 
sent friend  in  Australia — "  but  just  then 
they  were  interrupted  by  Marie  and  Mr. 
Van  Norman,  who  had  come  in  search  of 
them. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  31 

Mr.  Edmunds  inwardly  resolved  to  take 
the  place  of  the  absent  friend. 

It  was  nearly  four  when  the  last  car- 
riage rolled  away.  Lavinia  seemed  more 
like  her  former  self,  forgetting  her  trouble 
amid  so  much  gayety;  but  'ere  she  fell 
asleep  she  wondered  if  Ammi  would  re- 
turn. 


32  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTER    V. 

When  I  arose  and  saw  the  dawn, 

I  sighed  for  thee. 

When  light  rode  high  and  the  dew  was  gone 
And  noon  lay  heavy  on  flower  and  tree, 
And  the  weary  day  turned  to  his  rest 
Lingering  like  an  unloved  guest, 

I  sighed  for  thee 

—Shelley's  Ode  to  Night. 

In  the  years  that  had  passed  since  they 
returned  to  New  England,  Chellis  Oan- 
ford  had  never  been  forgotten  for  an  in- 
stant. Lavinia  wrote  her  often,  and  re- 
ceived very  interesting  letters  in  return. 
Three  summers  had  passed.  It  had  now 
been  several  weeks  since  receiving  a  letter, 
when  one  morning  "the  postman,  that 
Genius,  indifferent  and  stern,  who  shakes 
out  even-handed  to  all,  from  his  urn," 
brought  one  bearing  the  old,  familiar  post- 
mark, "Oshkosh."  She  hurriedly  broke  the 
seal,  fearing  her  friend  had  been  sick. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  33 

Oshkosh,  May  13,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia — 

I  wonder  how  long  it  has  been  since  I  indicted 
a  billet-doux  to  you?  Months,  years,  decades,  almost 
has  it  not?  My  dear  mother  has  been  very,  very 
sick;  at  one  time  there  was  little  hope  of  her  recov- 
ery; but  now  the  crisis  is  past  and  we  are  all 
so  rejoiced.  She  is  able  to  drive  a  short  distance 
each  day  and  the  doctor  says  she  will  get  entirely 
well. 

One  night  mother  was  taken  suddenly  worse;  we 
telephoned  for  the  doctor;  he  came  about  ten  thirty; 
but  she  was  better  before  he  arrived.  You  know  he 
is  such  a  jolly  man,  he  told  us  an  amusing  incident, 
that  happened  on  the  way.  He  didn't  stop  for  his 
carriage,  as  it  is  only  a  few  blocks;  just  ahead  of 
him  was  a  woman  hurrying  along;  she  turned  the 
corner,  which  happened  to  be  the  same  way  he  was 
going;  she  then  quickened  her  pace,  and  he  walked 
a  little  faster,  intent  on  reaching  here  as  soon  as 
possible.  Finally  she  turned  upon  him,  saying:  "Sir! 
why  are  you  following  me?"  He  replied,  "Madam,  if 
you  will  wait  a  moment  and  let  me  get  ahead,  then 
you  may  follow  me;  I  am  going  to  see  a  sick  patient." 

Tonight  the  Arion  band  is  discoursing  the  loveliest 
music;  the  evening  is  warm  and  delightful;  I  wish 
I  might  have  a  long,  gossipy  chat  with  you;  not 
malicious  gossip,  of  course,  we  never  used  to  in- 
dulge in  that  kind,  did  we?  But  just  to  exchange 
opinions  concerning  the  current  topics  of  the  day,  to 
consult  in  regard  to  what  is  pretty  in  the  gingham 
line,  what  kind  of  hats  are  to  be  worn  this  sum- 
mer and  whether  dresses  are  to  fall  in  the  same 


34  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

straight  lines.  Isn't  this  the  kind  of  frivolous  talk 
we  used  to  be  guilty  of?  If  not  instructive,  it  is 
entertaining,  so  serves  a  good  purpose  after  all. 

You  have  lived  in  Boston  so  long,  I  suppose  'ere 
this  you  have  taken  to  reading  Browning,  wear  glasses 
and  consider  the  bean  the  staff  of  life.  I  have  heard 
that  in  Boston  they  eat  "black  beans"  when  in  mourn- 
ing; is  it  really  true? 

Do  write  often  and  come  and  visit  us,  soon. 
As  of  yore, 

CHELLIS  CRANFORD. 

After  reading  the  letter,  Lavinia's 
thoughts  turned  toward  her  old  home, 
and  she  expressed  a  wish  that  she  might 
once  more  see  the  emerald  shores  of  Lake 
Winnebago,  and  hear  the  birds  sing  as 
they  did  in  days  gone  by,  "I  Sigh  for 
Thee." 

While  Lavinia  sat  dreaming,  Mrs.  Ers- 
kin  came  in  with  a  bright  face,  saying 
"Lavinia,  dear,  this  telegram  just  received, 
instead  of  being  a  messenger  of  bad  tidings 
—  how  I  dread  to  open  one  since  your 
grandpa's  death — brings  good  news,  just 
what  you  wanted." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  35 

"What  can  it  be,  mother  dear?  A  trip 
to  Oshkosh?  That  is  what  I  want  most, 
at  the  present  minute." 

"The  very  thing,"  her  mother  replied. 
"Mrs.  Winship  wires  that  they  go  to  Den- 
ver for  a  few  weeks  before  going  to  New- 
port, and  wish  us  to  accompany  them  in 
their  private  car.  It  will  be  a  nice  rest  for 
us,  after  the  year's  hard  work.  You  can 
go  direct  to  Oshkosh  and  see  Chellis,  and 
on  our  return  from  Denver  we  can  run  up 
from  Chicago  and  stay  a  few  days.  You 
know  my  heart  has  always  been  with  my 
New  England  home,  and  a  few  days  will 
suffice." 

"When  do  they  start?  I  am  so  delight- 
ed— would  much  rather  go  there  than  to 
Newport  again,  although  I  enjoyed  last 
summer  very  much." 

"We  are  to  meet  them  Monday  night,  at 
the  Albany  depot." 


36  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

"How  nice  of  them  to  take  you,  mother. 
I  wouldn't  have  gone  if  they  hadn't." 

"Yes,  it  was  kind  of  Mrs.  Winship." 

The  following  Monday  found  Mrs.  Ers- 
kin,  Lavinia  and  Lucile  ready  for  the  jour- 
ney. A  merry  party  welcomed  them — Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Winship  and  Marie;  Mr.  Ed- 
munds; Geneva  Graham,  Lavinia's  most 
intimate  friend  in  college;  Mr.  Ferguson, 
a  student  of  Yale;  Mr.  Ames,  of  Boston,  a 
classmate  of  Mr.  Winship's  at  West  Point, 
where  they  graduated;  and  Mr.  Berghardt, 
an  old  gentleman  from  Kentucky,  who  wras 
interested  in  the  same  mines  in  Colorado 
as  Mr.  Winship. 

This  was  Lavinia's  first  trip  in  a  private 
car,  and  she  was  in  high  spirits. 

"Even  a  piano,"  she  said  to  Marie. 

Mr.  Winship  replied:  "Why  shouldn't 
we  have  all  the  comforts  of  home?" 

They  glided  along  merrily.  As  twilight 
came  on,  Mr.  Winship  suggested  that  each 


FROGS  FOR  BAIT. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  37 

one  contribute  his  share  toward  the  even- 
ing's entertainment.  Mr.  Winship  told  his 
experience  in  fishing. 

"There  is  a  little  stream  in  Ohio,  noted 
for  its  fishing,  where  seven  of  us  went  one 
day  last  summer.  But  that  day  the  fish 
were  'wary.'  No  one  got  a  bite,  and  some- 
body suggested  'frogs'  for  bait,  they  were 
so  plentiful  in  this  vicinity.  After  secur- 
ing some,  success  was  assured — all  except 
myself — having  more  than  they  could  do 
to  pull  in  the  'beauties.'  I  didn't  even  get 
a  bite.  Finally,  becoming  discouraged,  I 
began  pulling  in  my  line,  which  seemed 
rather  light,  and  upon  turning  round  I  dis- 
covered Mr.  Frog  sitting  on  a  lily  leaf, 
laughing  at  the  disconsolate  fisherman 
from  Boston." 

"Speaking  of  fishing,"  Mr.  Ames  said,  "I 
saw  a  man  in  Vermont  that  will  break  the 
record  of  the  laziest  man  in  the  world.  He 
had  an  old  horse  and  sulky  backed  up  to 


38  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

the  stream,  and  when  he  got  a  bite  he 
started  up  his  horse." 

Geneva  gave  some  music  on  her  zither. 
The  music  and  the  twilight  hour  seemed 
to  lend  enchantment,  and  as  the  sweet 
strains  of  "Sounds  from  Home"  floated  on 
the  air,  Mr.  Berghardt  said:  "That  takes 
me  back  some  fifty  years,  to  the  time  I  left 
home  and  friends  in  Germany  to  cross  the 
ocean's  foam  and  seek  my  fortune  in  the 
new  world.  I  was  only  a  lad  of  fifteen,  and 
with  streaming  eyes  my  mother  said  'Fare- 
well,' and  gave  me  her  blessing,  neither 
father  nor  mother  expecting  to  see  their 
son  again.  Well,  there  was  a  shipwreck 
and  I,  with  two  others,  clung  to  a  floating 
spar  ten  hours,  and  when  hope  was  almost 
gone,  one  of  the  men  having  been  swept 
off  by  a  huge  wave,  we  were  finally  rescued 
by  a  fishing  smack,  off  the  coast  of  Vir- 
ginia." 

"I  go  home  every  two  years;   but  I  find 


THE  LAZIEST  MAN  ON  RECORD. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  39 

no  father  or  mother  to  welcome  their  boy 
— still,  the  old  familiar  places  bring  joy  to 
my  heart." 

After  listening  attentively,  Lavinia  ex- 
claimed: "Oh!  Mr.  Berghardt,  I  have  a 
song  I  want  to  sing  to  you,  about  'The  Lit- 
tle German  Home,' "  and,  going  to  the 
piano,  she  sang: 

"I  love  to  think  about  the  time  so  full  of  joy  and  glee, 
That  never  will  come  back  again  to  me. 

Oh!  it  was  many  years  ago,  when  but  a  little  boy, 
That  I  lived  there  so  happy,  light  and  free. 

I  used  to  play  about  all  day  and  drive  the  cows  and 

sheep, 

Until  I  was  as  tired  as  I  could  be; 
But  when  my  evening  prayer  was  said,  I'd  lay  me 

down  to  sleep 
In  that  little  German  home  across  the  sea." 

When  she  finished  the  first  verse,  he  in- 
terrupted her  with: 

"Pardon  me,  Miss  Ersldn,  but  did  you 
just  compose  that?" 

"Oh!    no,  indeed;    I  only  wish  I  could; 


40  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

but  there  is  nothing  original  about  me.    It 
is  an  old  song  I  knew  when  a  little  girl." 

"I  never  shall  forget  the  day  I  left  the  Fatherland 
To  sail  across  the  stormy  ocean's  foam; 

My  friends,  they  gathered  round  me  then  and  took 

me  by  the  hand, 
And  hoped  that  safely  back  again  I'd  come. 

My  father  and  my  mother  old,  they  both  stood  by  the 

door, 

And  gave  their  tearful  blessing  unto  me. 
But  now  they  both  are  dead  and  gone,  I  ne'er  shall 

see  them  more 
In  that  little  German  home  across  the  sea." 

"Surely,  Miss  Erskin,  that  is  exactly  my 
story  that  I  have  been  telling  you  about 
leaving  the  Fatherland,  and  you  sit  down 
and  sing  it — you  certainly  must  have  im- 
provised it." 

It  was  hard  to  convince  him  that  it  was 
not  composed  especially  for  the  occasion. 

"I've  traveled  many  weary  miles  around  this  world 

for  years, 

And  many  more  I  yet  expect  to  roam; 
But  when  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep,  then  in  my  dreams 

appear 
Sweet  visions  of  my  dear,  old  German  home. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  41 

And  when  my  days  are  over  here,  if  it  is  for  the  best, 
Oh,  it  would  bring  such  joy  and  peace  to  me, 

If  I  could  close  mine  eyelids  then  and  lay  me  down 

to  sleep 
In  that  dear,  old  German  home  across  the  sea." 

"My  dear  Miss  Erskin,  let  me  assure  you 
that  this  evening  will  ever  be  a  pleasant 
remembrance.  It  is  almost  like  a  visit  to 
my  old  home.  I  am  glad  Mr.  Winship  per- 
suaded me  to  go  to  Denver." 

"Well,  Mr.  Edmunds,  what  part  do  you 
take  in  the  drama  of  the  evening?" 

"I  will  read  my  latest  production,"  and 
taking  a  paper  from  his  pocket,  he  read : 

ADAM  AND  EVE 

"When  God  made  Adam,  at  the  first  'twas  tho't  no 
more  was  needed, 

That  he  could  till  the  farm  alone  and  keep  the  gar- 
den seeded. 

No  weeds  then  grew  to  choke  the  corn  or  sap  the 
fertile  ground 

And  Adam  had  the  finest  farm  for  many  milas  around. 

This  garden  bore  the  choicest  fruit,  well  ripened  in 

the  sun, 
And  he  was  told  to  help  himself  to  all  the  trees 

but  one, 


42  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

And  some  may  think  that  Adam  might  and  should 

have  been  content 
To  live  alone  and  till  the  farm  his  God  so  kindly  lent. 

When  Adam  woke,  he  hardly  dared  his  senses  to 

believe. 
The  woman  saw  his  puzzled  face  and  said,   'It's  Mrs. 

Eve.' 
Then  straightway  Adam  took  her  round  and  showed 

her  all  the  farm, 
And  thought  how  happy  they  should  live  with  no 

one  else  to  harm. 

And  all  went  smoothly,  for  awhile  they  were  a  happy 

pair; 
Until  the  black  man  came  along  and  set  for  them 

a  snare; 
The  woman  took  9,  walk  one  day,  while  Adam  staid 

at  home. 
He  said,  'My  dear,  don't  venture  far,  remember  you're 

alone.' 
She  smiled  at  Adam's  tender  fears  and  said,  'There 

is  no  danger, 
I  will  not  go  beyond  the  farm  noi   talk  with  any 

stranger.' 

Then  throwing  him  a  kiss  she  said,  'Good-bye,  my 

dear, 

I  will  not  tarry  long  away,  for  me  you  need  not  fear.' 
She  walked  around  among  the  trees  and  balmy  was 

the  air, 
The  branches  gently  moaning  said,   'The  tempter's 

nigh,  beware!' 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  43 

She  still  kept  on  and  thinking,  said,  'There  really 
is  no  danger,' 

When  looking  round  she  saw  a  man;  it  was  the  dusky 
stranger. 

At  first  she  thought  of  flying  back  and  tell  her  hus- 
band, Adam, 

But  the  stranger  smiled  and  loving  said,  Tray  stay 
a  moment,  madam.' 

He  said,  'I'm  glad  we  thus  have  met  alone  out  in 

the  wood, 
I've  something  which  I  wish  to  say  which  may  be 

for  your  good. 
I've  found  a  wondrous  tree  with  fruit  both  rich  and 

rare.' 

She  said,  'It  is  the  tree  of  life,  to  eat  we  do  not  dare.' 
He  said,  'Who  told  you  not  to  eat  from  off  the  tree 

of  life?' 

She  said,   'It  was  my  husband,  Adam,  when  I  be- 
came his  wife.' 
A  lurking  smile  played  o'er  his  face,  his  eyes  were 

full  of  cunning, 
And  he  said,  'Your  husband  did  mistake,  or  else  he 

might  be  funning.' 

'The  fruit,'  he  said,  'would  knowledge  give  to  each 

a  double  portion, 
You  purely  have  a  right  to  taste,  'twas  only  Adam's 

notion.' 
And  thus  the  stranger  reasoned  fair,  his  scheme  she 

could  not  grapple; 
At  last  she  climbed  the  fatal  tree,  she  reached  and 

took  the  apple. 


44  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

And  after  eating  all  she  liked  she  carried  some  to 
Adam, 

Who  said,  'Your  fruit  is  very  fine;  I  thank  you  dear- 
est madam.' 

At  first,  they  felt  no  ill  effect,  the  fruit  was  good 
and  sweet. 

But  soon  the  mischief  it  did  work,  their  God  they 
dare  not  meet. 

And  Adam  laid  the  blame  to  Eve,  she  to  the  dusky 

stranger, 
Who  tempted  her  to  eat  the  fruit  and  place  the  race 

in  danger. 
God  said  they  both  were  much  to  blame  he  could  not 

grant  them  pardon, 
And  they  must  both  prepare  to  leave  the  farm  and 

pleasant  garden." 

"That  is  an  old  ballad  in  a  new  dress," 
said  Mr.  Winship.  "You  ought  to  publish 
a  book  of  poems." 

Mrs.  Erskin  said  to  Mr.  Ferguson:  "Did 
you  ever  think  how  much  a  man  resembles 
his  shoes?  I  didn't  think  there  were  so 
many  points  in  common  until  I  read  this 
clipping  from  a  Boston  paper,  the  other 
day." 


THE  GIRL,  FROM  OSHKOSH.  45 

"How  much  a  man  is  like  his  shoes, 

For  instance,  both  a  soul  may  lose. 

Both  have  been  tanned,  both  are  made  tight 

By  cobblers.    Both  get  left  and  right; 

Both  need  a  mate  to  be  complete, 

And  both  are  made  to  go  on  feet; 

They  both  need  healing;  oft  are  sold, 

and  both  in  time  turn  all  to  mould. 

With  shoes  the  last  is  first;  with  men 

The  first  shall  be  the  last,  and  when 

The  shoes  wear  out  they're  mended  new, 

And  when  men  wear  out  they're  men  dead,  too. 

They  both  are  trod  upon,  and  both 

Will  tread  on  others,  nothing  loath. 

Both  have  their  ties,  and  both  incline, 

When  polished,  in  the  world  to  shine; 

And  both  peg  out — now  would  you  choose 

To  be  a  man  or  be  his  shoes?" 

"Well,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Ames,  "I  didn't 
think  I  was  so  much  like  my  shoes.  Who 
wrote  that,  Mrs.  Erskin?  He  must  have 
had  a  fertile  brain." 

"I  don't  know.  The  author's  name  was 
not  given.  If  I  could  write  like  that  I 
would  certainly  claim  it." 

Mr.  Ames,  when  his  turn  came,  said:  "I 
have  made  a  study  of  palmistry,  lately.  I'll 
read  your  hand." 


46  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

"If  trouble  can  leave  its  marks  upon  the 
face,  as  Byron  says: 

'The  intersected  lines  of  thought, 
Those  furrows  which  the  burning  share 
Of  sorrow  ploughs  untimely  there; 
Scars  of  the  lacerated  mind, 
Which  the  soul's  war  doth  leave  behind,' 

why  should  not  the  same  effect  be  produced 
upon  the  hands,  which  are  so  much  more 
sensitive  than  the  face?" 

"With  your  leave,  Miss  Erskin,  I'll  be- 
gin with  you,"  taking  her  left  hand  as  he 
spoke. 

"Yours  is  what  I  call  the  'square 
hand,'  the  cleverest  that  exists.  Good 
sense  and  reasonable  egoism  are  the  main 
features  of  this  type.  The  general  charac- 
teristics are  perseverance,  foresight,  order, 
regularity,  method,  symmetry  of  form  and 
outline,  and  discipline.  This  is  the  hand 
of  the  author." 

"That  settles  it,"  interrupted  Lavinia, 
"I  shall  write  a  book." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  47 

Continuing,  he  said:  "You  are  handy 
with  your  fingers,  tidy  in  personal  appear- 
ance, and  quietly  but  unostentatiously  am- 
bitious. You  are  contrary  yet  yielding, 
proud  yet  humble,  and  full  of  ginger  and 
snap.  You  can  enjoy  more  in  five  minutes 
than  most  people;  also  suffer  more. 

"You  can  execute  well;  would  make  a 
good  partner  in  a  law  firm.  Also  a  phren- 
ologist, as  you  are  a  good  judge  of  human 
nature.  With  study,  you  would1  be  very 
good  in  literature,  and  the  artistic  is  very 
highly  developed.  You  like  to  travel  and 
meet  people." 

"These  lines  indicate  fortune  or  money, 
and  those  the  loss  of  two  friends — one  by 
drowning." 

Lavinia  thought  of  Animi,  and  won- 
dered if  he  had  reached  Australia. 

"Aside  from  the  future  events,"  Mr. 
Wiuship  said,  "you  have  portrayed  Lavin- 
ia's  character  correctly." 


48  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

The  morning  found  them  in  Chicago, 
where  Lavinia  said  good-bye.  She  was 
willing  to  give  up  a  trip  to  Yellowstone 
Park  and  Colorado  for  a  visit  to  the  home 
of  her  childhood. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  49 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Write  it  on  your  heart  that  every  day  is  the  best 
day  of  the  year. — Emerson.  * 

Riding  along  the  shores  of  Wiunebago, 
as  the  train  neared  Oshkosh,  Lavinia 
looked  with  pride  upon  its  rising  spires, 
and  the  laughing  waters  of  the  lake  never 
seemed  so  blue,  nor  the  sky  so  bright  as 
upon  this  July  night. 

It  was  indeed  a  surprise  to  Chellis,  who 
opened  her  eyes  wide  to  make  sure  she 
wasn't  dreaming. 

"Did  you  come  in  answer  to  my  letter?" 

After  the  first  greetings,  Chellis  said, 
"Now  I'll  surprise  you.  I'm  going  to  be 
married  August  1st,  and  sail  the  5th  for 
Paris." 

When  Lavinia  had  sufficiently  recovered 
breath  to  speak,  she  said:  "Have  you  really 


50  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

decided  upon  someone  at  last?  Pray  who 
is  the  happy  man?" 

"You  remember  Eaymond  Richardson, 
don't  you?  Well,  I  met  him  at  a 
large  wedding,  just  before  I  went  to 
Chicago  to  study  elocution,  two  years 
ago.  Last  June  I  saw  him  several 
times,  and  as  I  seemed  a  little  less 
frigid,  he  asked  me  to  hear  Mary  Ander- 
son at  the  Auditorium.  The  next  day  we 
went  for  a  ride  on  the  Lake  Shore  Drive. 
He  said  he  was  going  to  Europe,  and  want- 
ed me  to  go  as  his  wTife. 

'Give  me  until  next  week  to  decide/ 

"He  replied:  'No,  if  you  wait  till  then 
to  give  me  your  answer,  you'll  ask  your 
friends,  and  they  will  advise  you  not  to  go. 
This  matter  only  concerns  you  and  me.  I 
want  an  answer  to-night.' 

"Well,  Lavinia,  I  thought  if  I  ever  mar- 
ried, I  might  as  well  now.  I  don't  know 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  51 

what  made  rne,  but  I  said  'Yes,'  and  ran 
into  the  house. 

"What  a  change  one  little  word  often 
makes  in  a  person's  life.  My  fate  was 
sealed.  Two  weeks  from  Wednesday  will 
be  the  eventful  day.  I  shall  have  a  travel- 
ing dress  and  tea-gown,  the  rest  of  my 
trousseau  I'll  get  in  Paris.  Will  only  have 
our  relatives — not  a  large  wedding — and 
leave  directly  for  New  York." 

"You  can  go  with  us,"  Lavinia  said. 
"Mr.  Winship  and  party  will  call  for  me 
and  stay  one  day  to  see  the  city;  then  we 
can  see  you  on  board  the  steamer  in  New 
York." 

"Really,  it  seems  like  a  fairy-tale,  or  that 
I  am  dreaming — you  going  to  Europe  on  a 
wedding  tour,  and  I  here  to  the  wedding, 
and  it  is  all  so  unexpected,  too.  Truly, 
'  'Tis  the  unexpected  that  happens.' " 

"Where  is  Victoria  Heathcote?" 

"Oh,  she  married  a  Chicago  gentleman, 


52  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Louis  Howard.  She  went  to  Chicago  for 
a  visit  and  it  was  love  at  first  sight.  He  is 
very  highly  educated,  speaks  five  lan- 
guages. His  home  was  in  England,  but  he 
came  to  Chicago  ten  years  ago.  His  mother 
died  when  he  was  very  young,  and  he  was 
sent  to  boarding  school  when  only  four 
years  old." 

Mr.  Winship's  private  car  arrived  the 
day  before  the  wedding,  the  whole  party 
stopping  at  the  Athearn. 

The  gentlemen  spent  the  forenoon  in  vis- 
iting the  large  business  firms  —  Paine's 
sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  said  to  be 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  and 
a  large  carriage  factory,  as  Mr.  Winship 
was  interested  in  that  business.  In  the 
afternoon  Mr.  Hale  took  the  party  for  a 
cruise  along  Lake  Winnebago  and  up  the 
Fox  River  on  his  steam  yacht.  He  was 
president  of  a  bank,  and  interested  in  sev- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  53 

eral  large  companies.  His  mother  was  a 
cousin  of  Mrs.  Erskin's. 

Lavinia  was  anxious  to  have  Geneva  see 
Chellis,  as  there  was  such  a  strong  resem- 
blance between  the  two  girls. 

During  their  sojourn,  Lavinia  met  Kob- 
ert  Whitney — they  had  known  each  other 
as  children,  and  the  feeling  of  friendship 
had  ripened  into  love,  at  least,  on  his  part, 
and  when  they  parted,  prior  to  her  removal 
East,  he  wished  to  be  engaged;  but,  of 
course,  Mrs.  Erskin  said  that  Lavinia  was 
too  3roung.  They  had  written  during  these 
years  of  absence;  but  the  past  two  years 
Lavinia's  letters  were  less  frequent,  and 
he  concluded  that  she  had  found  someone 
else,  which  we  know,  was  true.  She  once 
thought  that  she  cared  for  him,  until  she 
met  Animi  Wright,  when  she  began  to 
realize  that  her  friendship  for  Robert  was 
only  a  childish  fancy,  as  compared  with 
her  love  for  Ammi. 


54  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Robert,  not  knowing  of  her  new  friend- 
ship, determined  to  make  another  attempt, 
the  sight  of  her  face  bringing  back  all  the 
pleasant  memories  of  their  school-days.  He 
learned  the  truth  from  her  own  lips.  When 
she  saw  the  pallor  of  his  face,  she  felt  "an 
odd  little  smart,  beneath  the  vest  pocket, 
in  what's  called  the  heart,"  but  she  told 
him  frankly  that  it  was  much  better  that 
he  know  the  truth. 

Chellis  had  a  quiet,  little  church  wed- 
ding, with  Lavinia  as  maid  of  honor,  and 
Geneva  and  the  rest  of  the  party  as  guests. 

August  2nd  found  them  on  their  way  to 
Chicago,  where  they  stopped  for  a  day  to 
see  Mrs.  Howard,  and  tried  to  persuade 
them  to  join  their  party;  but  Mr.  Howard 
had  never  fully  recovered  from  the  grip, 
and  they  were  about  to  start  for  Old  Mexi- 
co, in  the  hope  of  regaining  his  health,  as 
the  physicians  said  that  climate  would 
cure  him,  if  there  was  any  help. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH  55 

The  next  night  proved  to  be  an  eventful 
one.  In  the  dead  of  night,  between  Cleve- 
land and  Buffalo,  as  the  train  was  whiz- 
zing along-  at  the  rate  of  sixty  miles  an 
hour,  suddenly  the  engineer  saw  a  bright 
light.  At  first  he  thought  it  was  a  burn- 
ing house,  but,  peering  ahead  into  the 
darkness,  he  saw  that  a  fire  had  been  built 
beside  the  track.  He  immediately  reversed 
his  engine  and  stopped  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  bonfire.  The  bridge  had  been 
swept  away  by  a  severe  rainfall,  and  only 
a  few  feet  in  front  of  the  engine  was  the 
black,  yawning  gulf. 

An  old  hermit  living  just  the  other  side 
of  the  bridge,  had  been  out  to  attend  to 
his  honey  bees,  the  wind  and  the  rain  hav- 
ing washed  some  of  the  hives  away,  and, 
seeing  the  bridge  gone,  and  of  course  not 
being  able  to  get  to  the  other  shore,  he 
brought  some  dry  wood  from  his  cabin, 
and,  piling  it  high,  saturated  it  with  kero- 


56  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

sene  to  give  a  bright  light.  The  road  hap- 
pened to  be  straight  or  the  engineer  prob- 
ably could  not  have  seen  it  in  time. 

As  soon  as  they  discovered  that  the 
bridge  was  gone  and  that  the  train  must 
delay  for  some  time,  the  brakeman  seized 
a  red  lantern  and  started  back  to  flag  an 
excursion  train  that  was  to  follow  the  fast 
express.  To  his  horror  he  saw  the  head- 
light, and  in  a  moment  there  was  a  crash 
and  the  engine  plunged  into  the  rear 
sleeper.  The  engineer  of  the  excursion 
train  had  a  stroke  of  paralysis  and  fell 
back  aginst  the  fireman,  who  immediately 
seized  the  lever  and  took  control,  but  alas! 
too  late;  the  crash  came  and  the  last 
sleeper  was  splintered  to  kindling  wood, 
while  three  others  were  partly  demolished. 
Many  were  wounded  and  several  killed. 
Mr.  Winship's  car,  being  near  the  engine, 
was  not  so  badly  wrecked. 

Geneva  and  Lavinia  had  the  berth  in  the 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  57 

rear  end  of  their  car.  Geneva  was  unable 
to  speak  and  Lavinia  was  pinned  down  by 
heavy  timbers  and  unable  to  move  her 
body.  Her  first  thought  was  for  her  mother 
and  Lucile.  Just  then  someone  lighted  a 
match  and  tried  to  discover  if  there  were 
any  living  among  the  wreck.  It  was  Tom 
Tatham,  a  young  Englishman,  who  was 
in  the  forward  end  of  the  sleeper  following 
the  private  car.  When  the  train  first 
stopped  he  was  awakened  by  the  sudden 
jerk,  and,  dressing  quickly,  went  out  to  see 
what  it  all  meant.  He  was  standing  on  the 
platform  when  the  accident  occurred  and 
was  thrown  twenty  feet,  but  fortunately 
not  hurt,  only  stunned  for  a  moment,  and, 
being  quick  to  act  in  an  emergency,  he 
began  to  look  around  for  signs  of  life. 

Lavinia  reached  up  her  hand;  he  imme- 
diately seized  it,  but  she  said,  "I  can't 
move  till  the  timbers  are  cut."  He  found 
that  she  had  been  thrown  partially  through 


58  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

a  broken  window  and  was  held  by  the 
frame  and  pieces  of  the  side  of  the  can 
Seizing  a  board  lying  near,  he  was  able 
by  using  his  greatest  strength  to  loosen 
the  wreck  and  succeeded  in  pulling  her 
from  the  debris.  She  was  unable  to  stand 
at  first,  and  lifting  her  in  his  arms,  he 
said  "Are  you  much  hurt?  Are  any  bones 
broken  ?" 

"No,  I  think  not,  only  my  feet  are  numb 
from  the  weight  of  those  timbers.  Just  let 
me  sit  on  the  ground  for  a  few  minutes 
and  you  try  to  find  mother  and  Lucile." 

He  took  off  his  coat  and  spread  it  for  her 
to  sit  on  and  then  began  searching  for  the 
others.  He  found  Geneva  next  and  pulled 
her  out  and  laid  her  beside  Lavinia,  say- 
ing: "Perhaps  she  has  only  fainted;  rub 
her  hands  for  a  few  minutes.  I  have  found 
your  mother  and  sister;  they  are  not  hurt, 
if  I  can  only  get  them  out  all  right." 

By  this  time  others  who  escaped  injury 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH  59 

had  begun  the  work  of  rescue,  and  with 
their  aid  Mr.  Tatham  helped  Mrs.  Erskin 
and  Lucile  and  Mrs.  Winship  and  Marie. 
The  other  end  of  their  car  was  not  so  badly 
wrecked  and  Mr.  Winship,  Mr.  Berghardt 
and  Mr.  Edmunds  had  already  found  the 
saw  and  ax,  fastened  in  the  car,  and  were 
hunting  for  the  rest.  Mr.  Ames  was  found 
buried  the  deepest  of  any,  with  a  gash 
across  his  cheek  and  his  left  arm  broken. 
They  carried  him  where  Geneva  lay  and 
placed  him  upon  a  temporary  couch  made 
from  coats  and  blankets,  pulled  from  the 
wreck. 

Geneva  partly  opened  her  eyes,  the  first 
sign  of  returning  consciousness,  and  said: 
"Are  you  hurt,  too?" 

A  messenger  had  been  dispatched  to  the 
nearest  station  and  doctors  and  ambulance 
wagons  soon  arrived  and  conveyed  the 
wounded  to  the  hospital. 

In  three  days  Geneva  was  as  well  as 


60  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

ever,  and  Mr.  Ames,  with  his  arm  in  a 
sling,  was  able  to  be  moved,  so  the  party, 
which  now  numbered  one  more,  was  ready 
to  continue  the  journey.  Mr.  Winship  in- 
sisted upon  Mr.  Tatham  accompanying 
them,  saying,  "You  certainly  saved  La- 
vinia's  life,  and  now  the  least  we  can  do 
is  to  give  you  a  little  pleasure  trip." 

"All  that  I  ask  is  that  I  may  win  the 
life  that  I  saved." 

"Well,  come  with  us  to  New  York;  my 
other  private  car  has  already  come  in  re- 
sponse to  a  telegram;  from  there  we  will 
all  take  a  sail  up  the  Hudson  to  West 
.Point — a  visit  to  his  alma  mater  will  make 
Mr.  Ames  forget  his  broken  arm  and  cheer 
up  the  rest  of  the  party.  Then  you'll  have 
an  equal  chance  with  Mr.  Edmunds  to  win 
the  life  you  saved." 

It  was  thus  arranged  and  the  party  pro- 
ceeded to  New  York. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  61 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Our  life  is  March  weather,  savage  and  serene  in 
one  hour. — Emerson. 

Upon  arrival  in  the  city  they  went  im- 
mediately to  the  steamer  "City  of  Paris" 
to  say  "bon  voyage"  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rich- 
ardson. After  returning  from  the  ship 
they  found  Mr.  Winship's  yacht  ready  for 
the  trip  up  the  Hudson. 

Who  that  has  ever  taken  a  ride  up  the 
"Rhine  of  America"  can  ever  forget  the 
sail?  A  picture  better  describes  it  than 
words. 

Having  read  "Miss  Bagg's  Secretary,"  a 
West  Point  romance,  the  drives  and  walks, 
especially  "Flirtation"  walk,  were  much 
more  interesting,  and  Lavinia  almost  re- 
gretted being  a  woman,  as  there  was  no 
chance  of  her  ever  attending  school  there. 


62  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

As  they  sat  on  the  campus  Mr.  Ames  and 
Mr.  Winship  entertained  them  with  stories 
of  their  military  life. 

"Has  this  favored  spot  witnessed  other 
scenes  as  truly  effective  and  of  so  much 
moment  to  the  select  few?"  ***** 

"In  the  'sixties,'  at  an  artillery  drill,  the 
fourth  class  are  taking  their  first  lessons 
in  firing  with  powder;  each  cadet  has  his 
prescribed  duty  and  the  instructor  cau- 
tions all  that  carelessness  or  neglect  of 
any  motion  may  produce  serious  accident. 
With  patient  care  the  explanations  are  re- 
peated; there  are  six  guns  in  the  battery; 
the  right,  or  'first/  piece,  is  loaded  and 
fired;  a  shock,  a  cloud  of  smoke,  which 
gradually  floats  away;  no  accident;  the 
gun's  crew  feel  proud  that  they  have  fired 
the  first  gun  for  their  class,  a  step  further 
toward  graduation. 

"The  other  guns  are  similarly  loaded  and 
discharged;  these  preparations  are  made 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  63 

and  carried  out  for  second  and  third 
rounds.  Accustomed  to  the  noise,  fire  and 
smoke,  the  cadets  engaged  relax  to  some 
degree  their  careful  attention  vto  details; 
perhaps  the  crowd  of  pretty  girls  attracted 
by  the  unusual  noise  to  the  ground  in  the 
rear  of  the  battery  may  have  its  influences 
—the  girl  who  attends  her  first  drill,  al- 
ways gives  such  a  charming  little  scream 
and  jump  after  the  shot  and  holds  her 
hands  over  her  pink  ears  during  the  load- 
ing to  remove  them  in  time  to  get  the  full 
effect  of  the  noise,  is  a  most  interesting- 
sight.  Whatever  be  the  occasion,  at  the 
fourth  round,  'first  piece';  'fire';  'load';  'sec- 
ond piece' ;  'fire' ;  'load' ;  'third  piece' ;  *  *  * 
'cease  firing';  *  *  *  The  instructor's 
watchful  eye  has  seen  the  little  tongue  of 
flame  rise  from  the  first  piece,  has  seen 
the  slight,  black-haired  cadet  No.  1  spin 
round  and  round,  his  sponge-staff  flying 
through  the  air.  All  are  startled  by  the 


64  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

unexpected  crash  from  the  right  of  the  bat- 
tery; smoke  shuts  the  view  from  the  spec- 
tators, but  as  its  fleecy  clouds  wreath  their 
way  quietly  upward  toward  Fort  Put- 
nam a  sad  group  is  disclosed,  more 
like  real  war  than  mimicry;  a  smoke- 
begrimed  senseless  form  w^ith  shat- 
tered arm  lies  bleeding  on  the  ground,  an- 
other but  fortunately  rarely  occurring  vic- 
tim to  neglect  of  orders.  The  gun's  crew 
bear  away  their  wounded  classmate  to*  the 
hospital  tent  near  by.  The  drill  is  quickly 
finished,  the  horrified  spectators  melt 
away,  quite  despairing  at  having  witnessed 
such  a  gruesome  sight.  Yet  the  sun  shines 
as  before,  the  clouds  float  on  as  peacefully, 
the  river  moves  on  its  way  as  quietly,  only 
two  lives  are  ruined,  the  ambition  of  the 
injured  cadet  to  become  a  graduate  is  de- 
stroyed, the  peace  of  mind  of  the  careless 
one  who  made  the  disaster  possible  'has 
disappeared,  leaving  behind  a  horror  of  it 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  65 

all.  Amends  are  made  so  far  as  possible. 
The  injured,  a  poor  boy,  an  orphan,  recov- 
ers his  life,  face  disfigured,  right  arm  gone, 
shoulder  torn,  nerves  and  health  shattered, 
struggles  through  the  prescribed  course, 
graduates  and  receives  his  commission. 

"There  are  ample  funds  forthcoming  for 
his  comfortable  existence,  such  as  it  can 
be;  that  'other  one'  being  among  the  richest 
in  the  land.  Until  death  mercifully  re- 
leases the  injured  and  also  the  other,  imag- 
ine the  daily  torture  of  both;  words  are 
feeble  to  express  the  situation,  two  monu- 
ments to  one's  carelessness."  *  *  * 

Geneva  and  Lavinia  were  anxious  to  see 
the  first  class  ride;  accordingly  the  party 
passed  the  library  and  thence  down  the 
hill  toward  the  depot  to  a  long,  low  stone 
building,  with  a  circular  roof,  which  had 
heretofore  escaped  their  notice.  Entering 
at  the  side  they  climb  a  short,  steep  stair- 
way to  find  themselves  in  a  narrow  bal- 


66  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

cony,  furnished  with  the  plainest  of  pine 
chairs.  Everything  is  covered  with  a  fine 
red  dust;  looking  down  the  view  is  most 
uninviting;  a  floor  of  some  dark  red  earth; 
at  each  corner  of  the  hall  a  short  post, 
along  the  sides  other  posts,  in  the  center  of 
one  side  a  wooden  frame,  from  an  arm  of 
which  is  suspended  a  small  black  ring;  on 
the  ground  near  each  post  were  round  red- 
dish objects,  which  look  like  soiled  foot- 
balls. The  many  windows  were  festooned 
with  dusty  cobwebs;  all  was  so  damp, 
dirty  and  cheerless  that  they  almost  de- 
cided to  leave. 

Suddenly  a  door,  hitherto  unnoticed, 
opened  directly  opposite  them,  admitting 
some  forty  horses,  each  in  charge  of  a  reg- 
ular soldier;  the  horses,  saddled  and 
bridled,  are  ranged  in  two  lines,  one  at 
each  end  of  the  hall  facing  the  center.  A 
number  of  men  dragged  in  triangular  con- 
structions of  small  poles,  which  they  leave 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  67 

near  the  center  of  the  hall.  A  large  num- 
ber of  ladies,  escorted  by  officers,  joined 
the  spectators  in  the  balcony,  and,  regard- 
less of  dirt,  occupied  chairs. 

Captain  Clarke  of  the  Cavalry  then  ap- 
peared, splendidly  mounted  and  looking 
every  inch  a  soldier  who  had  won  fame  as 
a  long-distance  rider  and  Indian  fighter.  A 
sound  of  clanking  sabres  and  of  marching 
reached  their  ears  and  from  below  the  bal- 
cony entered  some  forty  men.  Could  those 
gray  uniformed,  dust-stained  people,  with 
blue  caps  held  by  straps  under  their  chins, 
with  rough  belts  supporting  sabre  and 
pistol,  long  gauntlets,  soiled  and  worn,  be 
the  elegant,  natty  first  class  men  who  are 
admired  on  parade  and  at  hops?  Entering 
and  dividing  into  two  parties,  they  took 
place  in  front  of  the  horses.  The  cadet 
in  charge  reported,  "All  present,  sir,"  and 
took  place  with  one  line  of  cadets.  Cap- 
tain Clarke  commanded,  "Stand  to  horse," 


68  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

the  regular  soldiers  retired  and  each  cadet 
took  place  at  the  head  of  the  horse  behind 
him.  "Prepare  to  mount."  "Mount."  "Form 
ranks."  found  every  cadet  in  the  saddle; 
then  followed  movements  in  quick  succes- 
sion, which  riveted  their  attention,  and  all 
idea  of  leaving  was  banished. 

Sabres  were  drawn  and  at  command  a 
cadet  from  the  right  of  each  line  moves 
out,  crosses  the  hall,  his  horse  trots,  gallops 
and  charges  madly  around  the  hall;  the 
"balls"  which  have  been  placed  on  the 
posts  are  successively  knocked  off  by  sabre 
thrusts  or  cuts  and  the  ring  was  impaled 
on  sabre  point  by  each  cadet  in  turn. 
Saddles  were  taken  off  and  there  were 
lines  of  reeking  horses  on  the  full  run. 
Cadets  dismounted,  caught  a  lock  of  the 
mane,  mounted,  drew  pistol,  fired  at  "a 
head"  (as  the  balls  are  called),  or  drew 
sabre  and  cut  as  before. 

Occasionally  in  mounting  a  cadet  vaults 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  69 

clear  over  the  horse,  landing  on  his  head 
in  the  dirt;  one  striking  the  side  of  the  hall 
had  his  jacket  torn,  and  some  little  red 
stains  showed  that  blood  had  been  drawn, 
but  the  drill  went  on.  After  a  brief  rest 
the  piles  of.  poles  called  hurdles  were 
placed  perpendicular  to  the  sides  of  the 
hall.  Each  in  turn  was  jumped,  the  mount- 
ing and  dismounting  at  a  run,  firing  and 
sabre  thrusting  were  continued.  It  was 
wildly  exciting,  the  horses  seemed  to  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  the  affair  and  plunged 
and  reared.  Once  a  heavy  horse  caught 
his  foot  on  a  hurdle,  fell  and  turned  com- 
pletely over,  pinning  to  earth  his  luckless 
rider,  who  had  no  time  to  get  out  of  the 
way,  the  horse  clumsily  rolled  and  gained 
his  footing,  but  the  cadet  remained  still,  in 
a  disheveled  heap.  A  halt  was  ordered, 
Captain  Clarke  dismounting,  examined  the 
victim  and  called  men  to  carry  him  to  the 
hospital,  but  the  drill  went  on  as  though 


70  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

nothing  had  happened  until  the  hour  was 
up.  The  dusty,  heated  cadets  marched 
away,  horses  were  removed,  Captain 
Clarke  touched  his  cap  to  the  ladies 
in  the  balcony  and  galloped  away. 
Lavinia  drew  a  long  breath  of  re- 
lief, thankful  that  only  two  were  injured. 
Covered  and  choking  with  dust,  they  crept 
flown  stairs  to  the  outer  air,  forgetful  of 
every  discomfort,  only  remembering  that 
exciting,  exhilarating  spectacle,  "a  first 
class  drill  at  West  Point,"  which  Tom  said, 
"Beat  any  circus." 

Mr.  Ferguson  took  Marie  for  a  stroll 
down  Flirtation  walk  and  they  were  soon 
followed  by  Geneva  and  Mr.  Edmunds,  and 
Tom  and  Lavinia,  leaving  the  rest  of  the 
party  seated  on  a  high  bank  overlooking 
the  river. 

As  they  wandered  along  the  shady  path 
Tom  said  abruptly,  "Is  there  any  hope  for 
me?  Are  you  free  to  accept  the  love  I  have 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  71 

to  give?  Pardon  my  sudden  proposal— 
you  must  have  known  ere  this  why  I  ac- 
cepted Mr.  Winship's  invitation,  and  now 
I  can't  go  to  Newport  unless  there  is  some 
chance  of  my  winning  the  life  that  I  saved. 
I  claim  it  as  my  reward." 

Lavinia  hesitated.  She  was  thinking 
again  of  Ammi.  Would  she  ever  see  him 
again?  Did  he  really  care  for  her?  Her 
thoughts  were  far  away. 

"Speak,"  Tom  cried;  "don't  keep  me  in 
suspense." 

"It  is  all  so  sudden,"  she  replied;  "it  is 
like  a  dream.  Yes,  I  am  free;  the  only  one 
I  ever  really  cared  for  is  thousands  of 
miles  away.  I  probably  shall  never  see 
him  again." 

"Then  there  is  hope — this  is  the  happiest 
day  of  my  life,"  Tom  added. 

When  they  returned  it  was  nearly  time 
for  evening  dress  parade,  and  the  whole 
party  went  down  early  to  see  everything; 


72  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

on  reaching  the  guard  tents  they  found  Mr. 
Hawthorne,  their  sole  cadet  acquaintance, 
who  had  been  waiting  for  them.  He  takes 
camp  stools  and  places  them  in  the  center 
and  opposite  where,  he  says,  "the  colors 
will  rest."  They  can  see  in  the  camp  such 
funny  things;  cadets  with  wheelbarrows 
and  brooms  carefully  cleaning  up  every 
scrap  of  paper,  straw  and  fallen  leaf. 

"The  plebes  are  policing,"  Mr.  Haw- 
thorne says. 

In  front  of  the  tents  wash  bowls  are 
mounted  on  sticks  and  many  cadets  in 
"white"  are  preparing  for  parade.  Soon  the 
wash  bowls  are  arranged  near  the  tent 
floor.  Tent  walls  are  pinned  down,  gray 
coats  are  donned,  a  drum  sounds  and  Mr. 
Hawthorne,  touching  his  cap,  leaves  for  his 
company. 

The  most  gorgeous  band,  with  its  still 
more  gorgeous  drum  major,  marches  quiet- 
ly to  the  front  of  the  grounds.  A  second 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  73 

drum  sounds,  four  lines  of  'gray  and  white 
are  formed;  cadet  officers  with  high 
plumed  hats  superintend  the  roll  calls  and 
inspect  their  companies. 

The  band  plays  and  that  most  beautiful 
event,  "dress  parade  in  camp,"  is  on. 

Adjutant,  sergeant,  major  and  two  cadet 
markers  indicate  the  line.  The  four  com- 
panies simultaneously  emerge  from  the 
tent  lined  streets  and  take  position.  Cap- 
tain Clarke,  now  in  full  uniform,  steps  for- 
ward from  the  crowd  of  lookers  on,  arms 
are  brought  to  the  ground.  The  band  plays 
grandly  down  the  line  and  back.  Such  a 
picture!  throngs  of  gaily  dressed  people 
around  us,  the  red  and  yellow  uniformed 
band;  white  and  gray  immovable  lines  of 
cadets,  whose  bayonets  glisten  like  dia- 
monds in  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun; 
behind  are  snowy  tents  embowered  in  the 
green  foliage;  fleecy  clouds  drifting  idly  in 
the  bluest  of  skies;  the  field  battery  on 


74  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

our  right  and  old  Fort  Clinton,  with  its 
green,  grassy  slopes,  on  our  left;  the  scenes 
and  the  soul-inspiring  music  compel  silent 
admiration,  which  is  rudely  broken  by  the 
crash  of  the  evening  gun. 

The  camp  flag  is  lowered,  the  adjutant 
presents  the  battalion  to  the  officer  in 
charge,  a  brief  exercise  in  the  manual  of 
arms,  all  moving  together  like  clock  work. 
The  cadet  officers,  a  long  line  of  nodding 
plumes,  approach,  salute  and  retire  to 
their  tents;  companies  are  marched  to  the 
rear,  and  Lavinia  and  Geneva  retire  from 
their  last  parade,  but  in  preparation  for 
the  hop,  soon  banish  regret  in  anticipation 
of  the  evening. 

"I  don't  wonder  that  men  like  to  be 
soldiers  and  wear  stripes  and  brass  but- 
tons," exclaimed  Lavinia.  "How  could  you 
ever  leave  the  army,  Mr.  Ames?  Doesn't 
it  make  you  lonesome  to  come  back 
again?" 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  75 

Mr.  Hawthorne  asked  if  he  "might  make 
ut  their  card  for  the  hop"  that  night. 
They  gladly  consented,  though  doubtful  as 
to  the  results.  Their  brief  stay  and  having 
few  acquaintances  rendered  them  ignor- 
ant of  the  customs,  but  they  were  longing 
for  a  sight  of  the  new  hop  room,  even  if 
they  dance  only  with  their  citizen  brother, 
who  votes  "the  Point  a  most  stupid  place." 

When  the  hour  arrived  they  were  escort- 
ed over  the  wide  plain  to  the  beautiful 
Academic  building,  wrhere  the  rest  of  the 
party  were  spectators,  and  Lavinia  and 
Geneva  were  met  by  Mr.  Hawthorne  and  a 
cadet  friend  and  received  the  promised 
cards.  To  their  surprise,  opposite  each 
dance  was  the  name  of  a  cadet,  Mr.  Haw- 
thorne and  his  friend  heading  the  list. 

They  quickly  passed  to  the  beautiful 
high  room,  with  such  a  slippery  floor,  and 
music  that  would  thrill  a  hermit  and  force 
the  most  ignorant  to  graceful  motion. 


76  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Each  cadet  whose  name  was  on  their  cards 
appeared  in  proper  time,  here  and  there 
extras  were  introduced  and  gave  oppor- 
tunity for  dancing  with  such  as  made  re- 
quest. 

Now  and  then,  to  breathe  fresh  air,  brief 
resort  was  had  to  the  brilliantly  lighted 
halls,  with  the  many  convenient  little  bal- 
conies, for  those  amateur  astronomers  who 
could  not  refrain  from  stealing  away  to  the 
enchanting  study  of  the  moon  and  stars. 

From  waltz  to  galop,  extra,  and  sweet- 
est "reflection,"  the  evening  quickly 
passed.  Button  trophies  were  gained,  new 
acquaintances  formed;  a  sudden  crash  of 
drums  in  the  hall;  a  rush  for  wraps  and 
haste  to  escape  from  the  building  to  enjoy 
that  all  too  short  stroll  across  the  moonlit 
plain  to  the  hotel  gate,  a  brief  adieu,  again 
interrupted  by  that  horrid  drum,  and  their 
visit  to  West  Point  was  at  an  end.  The 
mournful  bugle  notes  of  "taps"  sounded  in 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  77 

their  ears  a  fond  good-night  as  well  as  a 
last  good-bye. 

It  was  with  much  reluctance  that  they 
boarded  the  yacht  next  day,  but  Mrs.  Win- 
ship  was  anxious  to  open  the  house  at 
Newport — it  had  been  closed  for  so  long  a 
time — so  they  headed  for  the  Atlantic  and 
the  next  day  reached  Newport. 

As  usual,  sketching,  driving,  bathing 
and  horseback  riding  for  Geneva  and  Mr. 
Ames  occupied  the  time,  and  the  month  of 
August  soon  passed. 

August  29th  was  the  party,  given  by  Mr. 
Winship  for  the  "rescued  thirteen."  The 
decorations  were  in  yellow — golden  rod 
and  roses  that  Lavinia  declared  must  have 
come  from  King  Midas'  garden.  "They  cer- 
tainly have  had  the  golden  touch,"  she 
said.  "One  could  easily  imagine  this  the 
garden  itself."  The  weather  had  been  so 
warm  that  they  decided  a  garden  party 
was  more  apropos  and  canvas  had  been 


78  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

spread  at  one  side  and  everything  done  that 
could  lend  a  charm. 

This  had  been  a  week  of  gayety  and  the 
night  after  the  party,  as  all  were  unusually 
tired,  the  whole  household  retired  early 
and  at  eleven  P.  M.  all  was  still. 

Shortly  after  the  little  French  clock 
chimed  one,  Lavinia  was  roused  from  a 
sound  sleep  by  a  faint  gleam  of  light  from 
a  dark  lantern  and  a  hand  upon  her  shoul- 
der. She  was  so  bewildered  at  being  thus 
suddenly  awakened  that  before  she  real- 
ized the  situation  a  muffled  voice  said, 
"To  speak  is  instant  death." 

Pointing  a  revolver  at  her  head  he  con- 
tinued, "Come  with  me." 

"Oh!  don't  make  me  go,"  but  he  was  de- 
termined and  said,  "The  others  are  asleep 
from  chloroform.  Come,  or  before  I  count 
three  you  are  a  dead  girl.  One — two— 
but  Lavinia  began  to  rise.  Only  last  June 
she  had  inquired  with  "Mallock,"  "Is  life 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  79 

worth  living?"  but  now  that  her  life  had 
been  so  mercifully  spared  she  didn't  care 
to  lose  it. 

"What  must  I  do?" 

"Just  keep  still  and  show  me  where  the 
silver  and  valuables  are,  and  I  will  escort 
you  back  to  your  room.  You  take  the 
lead." 

With  faltering  footsteps  she  started  to- 
wards the  vault  containing  the  jewels.  She 
knew  the  time-lock,  as  she  had  often 
opened  it  for  Mrs.  Winship  when  she  was 
dressing  for  a  party,  and  would  say,  "Get 
my  necklace,  Lavinia." 

After  taking  all  this  safe  contained  Mr. 
Burglar  said,  "Now  to  the  dining-room." 

She  thought  of  pushing  the  buttons  of 
the  burglar  alarm,  that  lighted  all  the 
rooms  in  the  house  at  once,  but  she  seemed 
as  under  a  spell,  not  fearless  and  resolute 
as  usual.  What  could,  it  be?  He  made  a 


80  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

few  more  passes  with  his  hand — she  had 
been  hypnotized  by  him. 

Proceeding  to  the  dining-room,  she  told 
him  the  numbers  to  unlock  the  large  vault 
made  in  the  wall,  where  they  kept  all  the 
extra  silver  plate.  Among  the  pieces  was 
a  child's  set,  server,  plate,  cup  and  spoon, 
with  the  initials  set  with  diamonds.  La- 
vinia  told  him  that  belonged  to  Mrs.  Win- 
ship's  only  child,  who  died  when  three 
years  old.  "Well,"  he  said,  "I  don't  want 
anything  that  belongs  to  dead  people;  I'll 
put  that  back.  I  have  great  respect  for  the 
dead — more  than  I  have  for  the  living.  My 
good  mother  is  dead  and  if  she  sees  me 
now  it  will  cause  her  to  weep;  she  died 
when  I  was  only  ten,  or  I  would  be  in  dif- 
ferent business  to-night.  She  taught  me 
to  be  good,  but  after  she  was  gone  my  fa- 
ther went  to  sea  and  left  me  with  a  maiden 
aunt.  I  got  into  bad  company — it's  the  old 
story — well,  enough.  Thank  you  for  your 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  81 

kindness  in  showing  me  about;  now  I'll 
light  you  back  to  your  room." 

"But  I  don't  see  how  you  could  get  in, 
with  a  private  policeman  in  front  of  the 
house,"  Lavinia  said. 

"Why,  I  came  to  the  party  last  night; 
the  men  at  the  gates  thought  I  was  a 
coachman;  in  the  rush  I  managed  to  steal 
up  the  back  stairs  and  remained  in  a 
closet  on  the  third  floor  all  day,  and  here 
I  am!" 

When  she  reached  her  door  he  said  fare- 
well and  waved  his  hand. 

The  night  was  dark,  for  a  storm  had 
been  gathering,  and  as  Mr.  Burglar  went 
through  the  conservatories  the  storm  burst 
in  all  its  fury  and  the  lightning  was  almost 
incessant.  Fearing  the  storm  might  waken 
some  one  in  the  house,  he  thought  he  had 
better  be  going.  There  was  a  glass  door 
that  opened  from  the  conservatories  on  to 
the  lawn.  Just  as  he  opened  the  door  there 


82  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

was  a  terrific  crash  and  he  staggered  for 
a  moment,  almost  stunned;  but,  soon  re- 
covering, he  darted  down  the  steps,  think- 
ing, "I  must  not  loiter  or  the  game  is  up." 

Instead  of  going  out  through  the  shrub- 
bery he  thought  it  was  safe  to  make  his 
retreat  through  the  carriage  drive;  surely 
no  one  was  out  in  such  a  storm. 

As  he  sprang  over  the  low  iron  fence  he 
stumbled  over  something;  stopping  to  see 
what  it  could  be,  he  found  the  prostrate 
form  of  the  private  policeman  who  pa- 
troled  around  the  square  occupied  by  Mr. 
Win  ship's  yard.  He  had  been  killed  by 
the  lightning  that  stunned  the  burglar. 
Placing  him  against  the  fence  he  hurried 
on. 

The  servant  who  came  in  to  prepare  the 
table  for  breakfast  was  the  first  to  discover 
the  burglary;  when  she  saw  all  the  silver 
was  gone  she  exclaimed,  "See  what  the 
storm  did  last  night!"  She  pressed  the  bell 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  83 

in  Mrs.  Winship's  room,  and,  receiving  an 
answer,  called  up  through  the  speaking- 
tube,  "Ma'am,  the  silver  was  blown  away 
last  night." 

Hurrying  down,  Mrs.  Winship  found 
that  burglars  had  visited  them;  the  vault 
rifled  of  its  most  valuable  small  pieces  and 
her  jewel  case  empty.  She  immediately 
called  Mr.  Winship,  saying,  "Telephone 
the  police;  our  valuables  are  gone." 

She  touched  the  bells  to  the  rooms  of 
the  different  guests  and  soon  they  came 
in  response  to  what  they  supposed  to  be 
the  breakfast  bell. 

In  the  excitement  of  the  moment  no  one 
noticed  that  all  had  not  come,  until  Tom 
and  Mrs.  Erskin  exclaimed  in  almost  one 
breath,  "Where  is  Lavinia?"  and  Marie 
started  upstairs  with  a  bound,  closely  fol- 
lowed by  Mrs.  Erskin. 

"I  hope  the  burglar  didn't  carry  her  off, 
too."  Marie  found  her  apparently  asleep, 


84  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

but  none  of  their  efforts  seemed  to  rouse 
her.  Dr.  Ferguson  was  called,  but,  having 
just  heard  about  the  policeman,  he  thought 
she  was  stunned  by  the  same  stroke. 

Mr.  Winship  said  to  Mr.  Ferguson,  "Tom 
has  saved  her  life;  now  here  is  your 
chance."  After  a  careful  examination  he 
said  she  appeared  to  be  recovering  from 
hypnotic  influence. 

It  was  several  days  before  she  could  talk 
about  the  subject;  they  were  much  inter- 
ested in  her  conversation  with  the  burglar. 

She  had  been  walking  in  the  garden 
with  Tom,  and  as  they  came  up  the  steps 
entering  the  conservatories,  the  glass  door 
being  slightly  ajar,  she  exclaimed,  "Oh! 
there's  my  burglar!" 

"Where?"  said  Tom;  "I  don't  see  any- 
one." The  image  was  on  the  glass;  it 
showed  the  hat  and  face  very  plainly  at  a 
certain  angle,  but  when  the  door  was  closed 
it  wasn't  visible. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  S5 

Lavinia  wondered  how  it  could  have  hap- 
pened, but  when  the  others  came  Mr.  Ames, 
who  was  a  good  electrician,  explained  that 
it  was  an  electric  photograph,  probably 
done  by  the  same  stroke  that  killed  the 
policeman. 

From  this  strange  likeness  detectives 
soon  discovered  the  thief  before  he  got  far- 
ther than  Chicago. 

It  had  been  a  summer  of  strange  expe- 
riences— especially  for  Lavinia — "savage 
and  serene  in  one  hour." 

The  middle  of  September  found  her  and 
Geneva  back  at  college;  Mr.  Ames  returned 
to  the  Vendome,  in  Boston;  Mr.  Ferguson 
at  Yale,  and  Tom  in  New  York. 


86  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

To  have  lived  through  all  its  sunny  days  seems 
longevity  enough. — Emerson. 

"  'Come,  little  leaves,'  said  the  wind,  one  day, 
'  Come  over  the  meadows  with  me  and  play; 
Put  on  your  dresses  of  red  and  gold, 
Summer  is  gone  and  the  days  grow  cold.'  " 

In  October  Lavinia  had  the  pleasure  of 
attending  a  presidential  reception,  for  Mrs. 
Harrison  and  Mrs.  McKee,  at  the  Wood- 
land Park  hotel,  a  very  popular  summer 
resort  near  Boston,  where  they  were  stop- 
ping. 

This  was  quite  an  event  in  her  life,  as  it 
was  the  first  time  she  had  had  the  pleasure 
of  shaking  hands  with  the  president's 
party.  Mrs.  McKee  was  so  cordial,  she 
wore  such  a  happy  smile  and  beside  the 
handshake  she  said,  "I  am  pleased  to  meet 
you,"  but  Mrs.  Harrison  merely  shook 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  87 

hands  and  wore  such  a  wearied  and  bored 
expression  that  Lavinia  thought  what  a 
difference  between  mother  and  daughter! 

COMPLIMENTARY   CONCERT 

To  The 
PRESIDENTIAL  PARTY 

By  The 
MESSIEURS  GOLDSTEIN 

Of  The 

Boston  Symphony  Orchestra, 
Assisted  by  Miss  Mae  Shepherd, 

Prima  Donna  and  Pianist. 
Mrs.  H.  E.  Wright,  Accompanist. 
Friday  Evening,  October  2d,  188— 
at  8:15. 


RECEPTION:  TO  MEET 


MRS.  HARRISON, 

MR.  AND  MRS.  M'KEE, 

FRIDAY  P.  M.,  7:30  TO  8:15, 
THE  WOODLAND  PARK. 


The  program  was  very  interesting. 

Violin  solo,  Mazurka  Fantastique E.  S.  Goldstein 

Mr.   E.   S.   Goldstein. 

Grand  duo  for  violin  and  contrebasse Bottesini 

Messieurs  A.  and  S.  E.  Goldstein. 

a.  All  is  Quiet Spohr 

b.  Herbsfruhlingslied. 


88  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

c.    Fruhlingslied O.  Weil 

Miss  Mae  Shepherd. 

Fantasie  pour  contrebasse A.  Goldstein 

Mr.  A.  Goldstein. 
Solo  for  violin — 

a.  Nocturne  de  Chopin Sarasate 

b.  Bolero  Rugali 

Mr.  S.  E.  Goldstein. 

Just  before  Thanksgiving  Lavinia  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Mr.  Ames,  containing 
an  invitation  to  dinner  in  memory  of  the 
accident. 

"Vendome,"  Boston,  Nov.  13,  188—. 

Early  in  the  history  of  our  country,  about  the 
time  of  John  Smith,  or  at  least  ever  and  ever  so  long 
ago,  I  had  hoped  to  have  the  pleasure  of  discussing 
with  Miss  Graham,  Miss  Winship  and  yourself,  the 
topics  of  the  day  over  a  dinner  table,  without  for- 
mality, and  now  I  ask  it  in  behalf  of  the  "Rescued 
Thirteen." 

Time  has  crept  on  apace  and  it  would  seem  that 
before  the  comet  has  turned  us  all  green  or  blue, 
we  might,  if  convenient  and  agreeable  to  the  ladies, 
make  an  attempt  to  meet.  Will  Wednesday,  Nov. 
23rd,  be  available?  If  "yes,"  I  shall  trust  to  Miss 
Winship  to  inform  me  at  what  hour  I  may  find  the 
ladies.  If  "no,"  with  great  disappointment  I  shall 
subsist  on  "crow,"  Nov.  24th,  postponing  my  struggles 
with  the  "National  bird,"  until  my  hopes  may  be 
realized.  Very  sincerely, 

E.  G.  AMES. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  89 

One  of  Lavinia's  little  friends,  whose 
papa  was  minister  to  Japan,  sent  her  a 
little  butterfly  of  rare  design.  By  means 
of  a  little  spring  it  would  alight  wherever 
you  put  it.  She  sent  to  little  Emily  for  a 
dezen,  as  souvenirs  for  the  "Rescued  Thir- 
teen." 

Mr.  Ames,  upon  receiving  his,  sent  the 
following  reply: 

"Vendome,"  Boston,  Dec.  3,  188 — . 
My  Dear  Miss  Erskin: — 

In  these  "piping  times  of  peace,"  at  this  "Xmas 
season,"  surprises  may  be  expected;  but  to  me  the 
greatest  was  the  arrival  of  that  dear  little  work  of 
art,  from  that  mysterious  isle  which  has  ever  had 
for  me  a  peculiar  interest,  which  I  found  yesterday 
awaiting  the  cordial  welcome  which  it  deservedly  re- 
ceived, not  alone  for  its  beauty  of  form  and  skillful 
construction — but  especially  because  of  the  denor,  to 
whom  I  am  sincerely  indebted,  and  I  beg  you  to  be- 
lieve that  even  if  rarely  worn  in  public  it  will  be 
ever  prized  by  Yours  very  truly, 

E.  G.  AMES. 

Accompanying  the  letter  were  these 
verses : 


90  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

"A  butterfly  all  bright  and  gold, 

To  me  hath  sudden  flown; 
In  his  fair  image  I  behold 

One  lovely  as  his  own." 

"Winged  reveller  of  the  glowing  eve, 
Born  in  the  sunset  beam  to  weave 

Thy  evolutions  airy; 
One  in  a  maze  of  living  gems, 
Bright  as  in  fairy  diadems, 

Thyself  a  dancing  fairy." 

"Thy  joyous  gambols  as  I  see 
Fair  Fly,  I'd  almost  wish  to  be 
Such  thing  of  brief  duration; 
To  sport  like  thee,  one  little  day 
Nor  pass  through  years  of  slow  decay 
To  reach  Life's  termination." 

"The  tissued  wing  its  folded  membrane  frees, 
And  with  blithe  quavers  fans  the  gathering  breeze; 
Elate,  toward  heaven  the  beauteous  wonder  flies 
And  leaves  this  mortal  wrapt  in  deep  surprise." 

Xmas  eve  Lavinia  received  a  morocco 
purse,  with  two  silver  butterflies  for  a  lid, 
and  a  card— 

"In  wintry  weather, 
When  friends  together  enjoy  feast  days, 

Butter  flies. 
In  Xmas  seasons, 

For  kindly  reasons,  in  many  ways 
Money  flies." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  91 

She,  of  course,  knew  who  sent  it. 

Although  a  busy  year,  Lavinia  found 
time  to  write  Tom  and  Mr.  Edmunds; 
Tom's  letters  were  bright,  but  she  rather 
liked  Mr.  Edmund's  the  better  of  the  two. 
Tom  was  an  Englishman;  his  parents  lived 
in  London,  but  he  had  lived  in  New  York 
five  years. 

New  York,  Jan.  13,  188—. 
Dear  Lavinia: — 

I  see  by  your  last  letter  that  your  conscience  has 
been  troubling  you.  Well  I  must  say  that  relieves 
me  quite  a  little,  for  I  had  begun  to  think  that  there 
was  not  much  conscience  in  the  case.  Glad  to  see 
that  "Ships  That  Pass  In  the  Night,"  are  not  all  priva- 
teers. 

It  seems  to  me  that  I  have  met  and  passed  these 
ships  all  my  life,  in  my  rambles  up  and  down  the 
earth,  though  I  must  say  I  was  just  a  little  disap- 
pointed in  the  ending  of  the  book,  yet  I  suppose  it  is 
going  on  just  in  that  way  every  day,  in  real  life. 

I  have  not  read  "The  Man  From  Oshkosh,"  but 
think  I  should  be  more  interested  in  the  "Girl"  from 
Oshkosh.  I  think  she  would  be  fine,  as  the  Scotch 
say.  That  reminds  me,  I  have  just  read  "The  Little 
Minister" — it's  a  Scotch  story  and  depicts  the  char- 
acter of  the  Scotch  weaving  towns,  that  is  the  hand 
loom  weaving  towns,  that  I  have  visited  and  have 


92  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

heard  the  quaint  remarks  from  the  elders  of  the 
Kirk,  such  as,  "He'll  jock  ainee  gee  that  song  oout." 

A  little  incident  occurred  while  on  my  way  to 
the  Kirk,  in  one  of  the  suburbs  of  Glasgow.  I  was 
living  right  in  the  city  and  had  about  three  miles 
to  walk.  While  going  along  one  of  the  main  streets, 
I  whistled  the  anthem  as  I  thought  to  myself.  I  met 
a  crowd  of  Scotch  lasses  and  they  heard  me  for  one 
made  the  remark,  "Deyee  hear  him  whozzle  on  the 
Sabbath!" 

I  have  never  seen  the  "Bishop  of  Oxford's  Riddle," 
but  have  seen  the  old  gent  himself,  the  last  time  I 
went  to  see  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge  boat  race. 

While  we  are  on  the  subject  of  boating  I  may 
say  that  I  have  thought  of  visiting  my  home  again; 
but  I  know  that  my  people  will  want  me  to  stay, 
and  I  like  this  country  just  as  well.  I  never  was 
much  of  a  Royalist,  yet  I  like  "Merrie  England,"  with 
all  her  eld  customs  at  Xmas,  and  I  think  you  would, 
too,  it  is  so  very  different  here,  at  that  festal  season, 
especially  to  lovers  of  good  oratorio  music.  It  carries 
the  soul  far  above  the  spheres — then  you  can  under- 
stand a  composer  of  such  music,  being  an  inspired 
man.  I  would  like  you  to  hear  "The  Messiah,"  by 
Handel,  in  Westminster  Abbey,  on  Xmas  morning. 
You  feel  like  staying  in  there  with  the  composers 
and  poets,  even  though  they  are  only  marble  and 
bronze. 

You  speak  of  Noah,  being  the  first  to  use  elec- 
tricity, when  he  made  the  "arc  light"  on  Mt.  Ararat. 
I  see  the  Electrical  Review,  but  nowhere  do  I  find 
an  account  of  his  adventure  or  even  an  article  from 
him.  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  accept  it  "on  faith" 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  93 

like  the  old  Dominie,  who  was  reading  about  Lot's 
wife  and  turned  over  several  pages  instead  of  one, 
and  got  to  the  description  of  the  Ark — so  many  cubits 
long,  high  and  wide.  "Well  friends,"  he  said,  "I 
have  never  seen  that  description  of  Lot's  wife  be- 
fore, but  must  accept  it  on  faith." 
I  hope  to  visit  Boston  next  Sunday. 

Yours,  TOM. 


94  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"What  is  man?    A  crying  baby, 
Vainly  grieves  and  strives  and  frets; 
Wanting  all,  deserving  nothing, 
One  small  grave  is  what  he  gets." 

Just  after  the  holidays,  when  the  gTound 
was  white  and  the  cold  north  wind 
whistled  through  the  leafless  trees,  the 
angel  of  death  beckoned  his  snowy  finger 
and  called  Mr.  Winship  to  the  great  be- 
yond. It  was  Tery  sudden;  Xmas  eve,  at 
a  family  party,  he  seemed  the  gayest  of 
them  all,  but  in  three  short  weeks  the 
grim  destroyer  felled  him  in  the  prime  of 
life — a  strong,  healthy  man,  with  his  life 
work  still  unfinished. 

It  was  the  first  link  in  the  chain  of  the 
"Rescued  Thirteen." 

Mrs.  Erskin  and  Lavinia  were  very  much 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  95 

grieved  upon  receiving  the  news  of  his 
death. 

His  rnotto  had  always  been,  "Do  all  the 
good  you  can  and  have  all  the  pleasure  you 
can,  for  remember  you'll  be  a  long  time 
dead." 

It  was  well  that  he  had  enjoyed  life  and 
done  good  to  his  fellow  men,  as  death 
came  at  the  age  of  fifty-three.  The  world 
moves  on  apace!  there  is  always  some  one 
to  take  up  life's  responsibilities  where  we 
left  them — we  are  scarcely  missed  more 
than  a  falling  star — a  great  and  good  man 
like  Mr.  Winship  is  soon  forgotten  in  the 
busy  rush  of  the  "madding  crowd,"  except 
by  the  relatives  and  intimate  friends  of  the 
family. 

It  was  a  long  winter,  but  finally  the 
balmy  days  of  May  came,  "with  May  flow- 
ers' breath  and  insects'  hum,"  and  after  a 
year  of  hard  study  Lavinia  was  ready  for 
outdoor  sports. 


96  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

She  played  so  well  that  she  was  chosen 
as  one  of  the  tennis  tournament  between 
the  Wellesley  and  Annex  girls. 

Among  those  who  came  to  witness  the 
game  was  Lell  Leland,  a  brother  of  one  of 
the  Wellesley  girls.  He  was,  of  course,  in- 
terested in  the  Wellesley  team,  hoping  they 
would  win  the  laurels,  but  they  were  so 
badly  beaten  that  he  said  he  wished  to 
know  the  girls  who  played  so  well,  espe- 
cially the  one  in  white.  He  devoted  him- 
self to  Lavinia  the  rest  of  the  day  and  re- 
mained till  Sunday  eve,  taking  a  late  train 
for  New  Haven.  He  was  to  graduate  from 
Yale,  the  same  day  as  Lavinia's  gradua- 
tion. 

He  found  that  he  had  met  her  before  in 
Oshkosh,  at  Chellis's  wedding,  and  taken 
her  for  a  drive.  Finding  they  were  to  grad- 
uate the  same  day,  he  begged  to  see  her 
essay,  promising  to  send  his. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  97 

New  Haven,  Conn.,  June  3,  188 — . 
My  Dear  Miss  Erskin: — 

You  will  find  below  a  copy  of  my  Salutatory, 
which,  I  believe  I  partly  promised  to  send  you,  simply 
for  the  privilege  accorded  me  of  reading  a  few  sen- 
tences of  your  finely  written  essay.  Thus  my  prom- 
ise is  kept,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  you  ought  kindly 
to  send  me  a  complete  copy  of  your  interesting  pro- 
duction. Be  just  and  be  generous. 
Very  Sincerely, 

LELL  LELAND. 

SALUTATORY. 

Standing  between  the  life  of  preparation  and  the 
life  of  action,  we  speak  to  you  our  final  greeting. 
Behind  us  is  the  narrow  enclosure  of  college  disci- 
pline, before  us,  the  limitless  future,  filled  with  bright 
hopes  and  grand  possibilities. 

With  the  material  which  we  have  gathered  in 
four  years'  assiduous  mental  labor,  we  purpose  to 
erect  beautiful,  symmetrical  edifices  of  useful  lives. 
Our  hands  are  willing,  our  hearts  eager.  The  diffi- 
culties are  many  and  great;  countless  unmarked 
graves  which  have  furrowed  this  green  earth  and 
beneath  whose  verdant  sod  lies  the  dust  of  many 
who  lived  and  toiled  in  vain,  proclaim  the  melancholy 
failures  of  many  burning  hearts;  nevertheless,  we  de- 
spair not.  The  star  in  the  East  which  determines 
our  course  is  not  Fame;  this  is  but  a  comet  of  tran- 
sient brilliancy,  it  soon  fades  away  and  leaves  its 
followers  in  bewildering  darkness. 

We  are  guided  by  a  star,  whose  clear,  pure  light 
shines  upon  the  happy  immortals:  Utility.  To  be  of 


98  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

use  in  this  world  is  our  aim.  Unblest  by  genius,  un- 
curst  by  power,  we  strive  to  make  glad  the  waste 
places  of  earth  and  to  put  a  new  song  into  saddened 
hearts. 

Small,  almost  insignificant  duties,  unceasingly  per- 
formed, will  accomplish  this.  Every  moment  is  preg- 
nant with  great  possibilities.  To  give  these  birth,  to 
transform  them  into  realities,  is  our  work  and  the 
work  of  all  earnest  souls.  The  opportunities  are  num- 
berless and  God  is  best  worshipped  by  our  full  im- 
provement of  them.  Thus  work  is  worship,  and  every 
life  should  be  ceaseless  worship  to  the  one  God. 

Prepared  thus  for  life's  duties,  we  stand  at  its 
commencement  and  look  hopefully  into  the  future. 
Evanescent  shadows  may  flit  across  the  landscape  of 
our  lives;  but  the  glad  sunlight  will  appear  brighter 
from  the  contrast. 

Heaven  forbid  that  our  courage  should  ever  fail! 
Or  that  life  should  ever  be  else  than  God-given  hap- 
piness! Having  declared  our  aims  and  hopes,  we 
again  greet  you;  and  God  grant  that  we  may  greet 
you  beyond  the  dark  river's  brim! 

In  a  few  days  a  letter  came. 

New  Haven,  Conn.,  June  13,  188 — . 
My  Dear  Miss  Erskin: — 

Will  you  grant  me  the  pleasure  of  your  company 
at  Rev.  Joseph  Cook's  lecture  on  the  evening  of  the 
29th?  If  you  accept  the  invitation  please  inform  me 
as  soon  as  possible  that  I  may  make  arrangements 
accordingly.  Is  the  mystery  of  the  two  reserved  seats 
now  solved? 

I  presume  that  I  ought  to  close  this  epistle  here, 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  99 

with  a  short  vale;  but  as  I  enjoy  epistolography,  with 
your  leave,  I  will  continue. 

It  is  not  necessary  that  I  ask  you  to  remind  me 
of  our  drive,  along  Lake  Winnebago;  that  is  one  of 
the  chief  accessories  of  memory's  picture  of  Oshkosn 
— a  picture  whose  central  figure  is  the  possessor  of 
those  fair  eyes,  which,  with  difficulty,  decipher  these 
fast-appearing  words — or  plainly  speaking,  a  picture 
bearing  the  face  of  Lavinia,  which  means  "pure." 
Therefore  did  I  write  in  thy  album,  "Keep  thy  heart 
pure,"  or  "Keep  thy  heart,  Lavinia,"  and  I  repeat 
the  injunction  with  an  appendix;  "Keep  thy  heart 
until  exchanged."  Will  you  exchange  with  me — not 
hearts  but — pictures? 

What  a  beggar  I  am!  Here  are  two  requests  in 
one  letter,  separated  only  by  thin  paper,  for  they 
are  exactly  opposite — look  and  see. 

Here  I  am  writing  to  you  as  if  you  were  a  regu- 
lar correspondent,  asking  you  all  manner  of  ques- 
tions. I  humbly  beg  your  pardon.  Pray  forgive  me 
thou 

"Sweetest  note  in  seraph's  song, 
Sweetest  name  on  mortal  tongue." 

How  that  song  runs  in  my  mind!  The  boys 
thought  that  I  had  developed  my  musical  abilities 
while  in  Oshkosn;  but  I  did  not,  for  I  have  none  to 
develop. 

It  is  growing  late.  The  frogs  croak  musically  out 
of  doors,  their  beautiful  harmony  being  broken  at 
intervals  by  the  discordant  barking  of  some  sleepless 
cur.  But  above  all  other  noises  I  can  always  hear 
the  dam,  roaring  about  a  mile  away. 

It  is  very  pleasant,  listening  to   such   sounds  of 


100  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Nature's  production.  How  horrible,  in  comparison, 
is  the  screech  of  those  "awful  Oshkosh  whistles." 
No  wonder  I  thought  your  singing  was  very  fine. 
Yet  I  must  not  ridicule  Oshkosh.  If  I  do  I  can 
imagine  one  little  fair-faced  maiden  rising  up  in  aw- 
ful wrath  and  condemning  me. 

You  must  pardon  me  for  sending  you  so  long  and 
so  poorly  written  a  letter. 

I  suppose  it  will  be  impossible  to  offend  you  more; 
yet,  if  it  is  possible,  I  will  add  the  straw  to  break 
the  camel's  back  of  forbearance.  Will  you  correspond 
with  me  regularly? 

This  makes  three  important  requests.  I  wish  I 
could  think  of  another,  but  I  cannot. 

Very  Sincerely,        LELL  LELAND. 

Lavinia's  reply  was  "no"  to  each  of  the 
requests. 

"Another  letter  from  Tom,"  said  Mrs. 
Erskin,  as  she  handed  Lavinia  an  envelope 
bearing  the  New  York  postmark. 

New  York,  N.  Y.,  188— 
My  Friend  of  Friends:— 

The  twilight  shadows  are  closing  down  upon 
mother  earth,  and  sending  their  long,  slender  creepers 
into  many  a  corner,  up  many  a  wall,  and  just  now 
the  last  reflected  ray  of  old  Sol,  falling  across  the  floor 
of  my  sanctum  sanctorum,  has  been  chased  out 
through  the  open  window  and  the  dart  of  yellow, 
gold  light,  brightening  the  dull  figures  in  the  car- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  101 

pet  for  a  moment,  is  gone — whither  we  know  not — its 
mission  fulfilled,  its  duty  done. 

But  does  it  leave  behind  a  brighter  pathway,  are 
the  figures  more  discernible?  No!  the  dim  outline  of 
that  seen  so  distinctly  but  a  moment  since,  now  is 
barely  recognizable. 

Thy  presence  brought  that  ray  of  sunlight  to 
brighten  a  life — desolate;  at  thy  departure  the  light 
vanished  and  in  its  stead  Egyptian  darkness  reigns 
— so  dark  that  I  shudder.  Ugh! 

Had  not  "Marionettes"  arrived — what!  I  know 
not.  I  read  the  little  chapter  and  must  confess  it 
very  pretty,  so  straightforward,  so  frank.  I  admire 
him — I  admire  her,  I,  I — I  admire  you!  Does  it  sur- 
prise you  to  know  that?  Ha!  Do  I  see  you  smile? 
Yes,  I  do.  For  it  indeed  required  an  effort  to  write 
the  above.  'Tis  easier  by  far  to  tell  a  falsehood  than 
the  plain,  unvarnished  truth — had  I  really  been  jest- 
ing, there  would  have  been  no  hesitating;  but  friend, 
I  told  you  many  times  during  my  short  sojourn  in 
Newport  and  Cambridge,  the  same  very  hesitatingly 
(truthfully). 

You  remember  how  I  hung  my  head,  and  blushed 
from  the  soles  of  my  diminutive  feet  to  the  crown 
of  my  head  and  then  reversing — from  the  roots  of 
my  hair  to  the  soles  of  my  feet. 

Could  you  then,  way  down  deep  in  your  petrified 
cardiac  organ  believe  me  false?  believe  poor,  inno- 
cent me  capable  of  telling  a  lie?  (George  Washing- 
ton.) Do  you  not  on  perusal  of  these  lines  think 
me  incapable  of  wrong  doing? 

I  will  not  trouble  you  for  the  answers  to  these 
questions,  for  fear  my  good  opinion  of  myself  might 


102  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

receive  from  your  hand  a  sad  rebuke.  How  badly 
I  should  feel! 

But,  passing  to  other  things,  what  has  happened 
in  the  three  long  days,  the  last  of  which  has  now 
deepened  into  the  night — nothing  of  moment  has 
transpired.  Yesterday  that  good  cousin  of  yours,  the 
camera,  a  muskmelon  and  your  correspondent  drove 
down  to  Campbell's  Point  and  there  under  the  wide- 
spreading  trees  we  breathed  into  our  lungs  pure  pine 
air  from  the  forests  of  Canada,  while  into  our  stom- 
achs went  the  golden-hued  melon. 

A  picture  here,  a  picture  there,  another  slice  of 
melon  and  after  two  hours,  a  ride  home.  We  rated 
it  a  pleasant  afternoon  but  what  did  it  lack  to  make 
it  a  "perfect  afternoon?"  Your  presence. 

We  have  counted  on  going  to  Dexter  and  up  the 
river  some  day — wish  you  were  here  to  accompany  us. 
Nevertheless  it  will  not  bring  you,  so  we  will  not 
indulge  in  it  further. 

I  will  leave  you  now  rather  abruptly,  with  Bob's 
kindest  regards  and  also  mine  just  a  little  exag- 
gerated. Hoping  a  word  from  you  soon.  Thanks  for 
Marionettes.  Good  night,  TOM. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  103 


CHAPTER  X. 

We  have  once  met,  we  may  sometime  meet  again. — 
A  Chinese  Proverb. 

Lavinia  had  been  corresponding  with 
Earl  Edmunds  the  past  winter,  while  he 
had  been  traveling  in  the  South. 

She  received  a  letter  saying  that  he 
hoped  to  see  her  the  last  of  June,  and  she 
replied  to  his  note,  telling  him  to  come 
the  23rd,  but  received  no  answer.  She 
wondered  why.  One  day  he  came  unex- 
pectedly and  said  he  was  going  to  Africa 
to  be  gone  a  year — would  sail  Saturday 
from  New  York. 

It  was  the  queerest  call — no  explanation 
was  made  on  either  side — but  it  was  solved 
when,  in  August,  Lavinia  received  her  let- 
ter from  the  "dead  letter"  office.  As  he 
didn't  get  it,  of  course  he  thought  she 


104  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

didn't  care  to  have  Mm  come.  He  resolved 
to  see  her,  if  but  for  a  moment,  and,  think- 
ing that  there  was  some  hope,  he  wrote  her 
from  New  York  the  day  before  he  sailed, 
giving  her  his  London  address  and  asking 
her  to  write  him. 

From  Dublin  she  received  the  following: 

Dublin,  Ireland,  July  18,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia: — 

The  brightest  of  letters  with  the  nicest  of  writers 
pictured  in  miniature,  brings  happiness  to  its  recip- 
ient and  demands  both  an  early  and  a  grateful  ac- 
knowledgment. Thanks  for  your  picture. 

I  think  you  are  wise  to  spend  your  vacation  in 
Boston,  for  that  is  your  home,  more  than  anywhere 
else,  although  strictly  speaking,  you  are  like  myself, 
without  a  real  home.  However,  as  long  as  our  moth- 
ers live,  we  may  be  sure  there  is  one  heart  that  al- 
ways beats  for  each  of  us,  and  one  place  where  each 
of  us  will  be  always  welcome. 

I  was  interested  in  your  description  of  Villa  Stan- 
hope. Such  places  are  delightful  away  from  the  city, 
in  the  summer  time.  I  have  always  intended  if  I 
lived  just  as  I  wanted  to,  having  a  nice  place  in  the 
country,  beside  some  lake  or  river.  But  a-las,  for  our 
ideals!  still  I  haven't  given  that  one  up.  I  shall  real- 
ize it  some  day. 

I  think  you  would  be  happy  and  contented  in  al- 
most any  place;  I  notice  that  you  are  always  cheerful, 


THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH.  105 

certainly  an  invaluable  quality  for  yourself  and  your 
friends. 

I  landed  in  Queenstown  July  2nd,  and  have  been 
diligently  sight-seeing  ever  since.  I  went  through 
representative  portions  of  Scotland  and  England,  rap- 
idly of  course,  but  still  I  saw  nearly  all  of  interest, 
and  am  now  in  the  Emerald  Isle.  I  will  say  in  pass- 
ing that  I  do  not  intend  this  trip  to  be  the  last  or 
most  exhaustive  one  to  Europe.  I  hope  at  some  fu- 
ture time  to  come  again  with  friends,  and  see  more 
and  stay  longer  than  now. 

"What  have  I  seen  most  interesting?"  you  will 
ask.  I  would  say,  first,  the  relics  of  Shakespeare  at 
Stratford  on  Avon,  then  the  home  of  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
at  Abbottsford,  and  Wordsworth,  at  Rydal  Mt. 

I  met  the  smartest  business  man,  in  this  hotel, 
coming  down  to  his  breakfast  each  morning  at  nine 
o'clock.  While  drinking  his  "nourishing"  stout  at 
table  d'  hote,  he  tells  me  he  has  traveled  all  over 
the  states,  Kentucky  and  Chicago  being  especially 
admired  by  him.  He  says,  "I  cannot  understand  why 
a  country  so  prosperous  as  yours  permits  such  lawless 
strikes.  There  must  be  some  serious  flaw  in  your 
government  that  allows  such  doings.  Can  it  not  be 
remedied?"  Our  party,  hearing  his  conversation, 
looked  with  alarm  at  the  American  cablegrams  on  the 
bulletin  boards,  and  wondered  if  "sweet  land  of  lib- 
erty," so  often  sung,  is  a  parody,  meaning  a  license 
to  do  evil.  I  asked  myself  the  question,  "who  or  how 
many  are  responsible  for  this  derangement  of  our 
social  conditions  which  the  old  world  is  so  zealously 
commenting  on." 

You  are  having  a  vacation  now,  so  you  have  time 


106  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

to  write  me  and  I  wish  you  would  do  so.  I  will  value 
your  letters  highly.  From  here  I  go  to  Paris,  Vienna, 
Dresden,  Rome,  Naples,  Vesuvius,  and  thence  to  the 
Lotus  flowers  of  the  Nile.  Forgive  these  rambles  in 
ink  and  believe  me,  Yours  sincerely, 

EARL  EDMUNDS. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  Aug.  13,  188—. 
Dear  Mr.  Edmunds: — 

"Tempus  fugit"  is  not  half  forcible  enough  to  ex- 
press the  rapidity  with  which  the  summer  has  flown. 
"Father  Time,  your  footsteps  go 

Lightly  as  the  falling  snow." 

Are  you  familiar  with  the  poem,  "In  Time's 
Swing,"  by  Lucy  Larcom?  I  think  it  is  a  gem. 

"Slower  now,  for  at  my  side 
White  pond  lilies  open  wide. 
They  are  gone.    The  golden  rod 
Flashes  from  the  dark  green  sod. 
Crickets  in  the  grass  I  hear, 
Asters  light  the  fading  year." 

I  can't  realize  that  the  summer  is  nearly  gone  and 
that  you  will  sail  in  October. 

Was  much  interested  in  your  description  of  your 
travels.  I  hope  you  will  be  careful  and  not  fall  in 
the  river  Seine,  while  in  Paris,  or  as  the  man  said, 
"You  would  be  in  Seine  (inSane)." 

I  suppose  you  have  heard  about  the  old  lady,  who 
was  asked  how  she  liked  Venice.  "Oh,"  she  said,  "it's 
a  pretty  city;  but  just  before  I  was  there  they  had 
had  a  flood." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  107 

Have  you  seen  Chellis  in  Paris?  She  writes  that 
one  night  the  electric  lights  in  their  house  went  out 
and  left  them  in  total  darkness,  and  she  wished  I 
were  there.  She  must  think  I  am  very  bright,  if  I 
could  take  the  place  of  an  electric  light. 

Pardon  a  short  letter — we  start  for  Newport  to- 
day, will  write  again  soon.  We  hopevto  drive  home 
from  Newport  in  September — while  you  are  enjoying 
Italy's  sunny  skies,  think  of  us  as  enjoying  an  au- 
tumn in  New  England. 

Yours  sincerely,        LAVINIA. 

Cairo,  Egypt,  Dec.  15,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia: — 

On  arrival  in  Cairo  I  find  several  letters  awaiting 
me,  including  the  one  from  the  dead  letter  office. 
Many  thanks  for  them,  I  had  begun  to  think  you 
had  forgotten  me.  Correspondence  to  Europe  I  find 
rather  trying,  many  of  my  letters  go  astray  and  oth- 
ers are  delayed  for  weeks,  turning  up  in  the  most 
unexpected  way.  I  visit  so  many  places,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  have  letters  forwarded  with  success. 

In  Italy  I  found  a  cloudless  sky.  I  had  antici- 
pated considerable  pleasure  in  wandering  along  the 
blue  Mediterranean  and  was  not  disappointed.  I  often 
think  of  you  with  pleasant  anticipation  of  the  time 
when  I  shall  see  you  again. 

I  believe  you  requested  me  not  to  get  in  the  river 
Seine  or  I  would  be  "insane."  I  see  that  your  fancy 
still  "lightly  turns  to  thoughts  of  puns,"  for  which 
you  have  considerable  talent.  In  this  case,  however, 
you  are  slightly  at  fault — the  pronunciation  of  Seine 
is  Senn — I  would  therefore  suggest  that  if  I  were  to 
fall  in  the  river  I  would  be  "in-Senn-sible." 


108  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

I  staid  in  Paris  a  month  and  made  it  a  duty  to 
see  some  sight  every  day.  I  go  to  the  opera  occa- 
sionally— the  opera  house  is  the  finest  in  the  world. 

I  enjoyed  Vesuvius  as  much  as  any  of  the  places 
visited.  'Tis  awe-inspiring  to  stand  on  a  roof  of  the 
world  and  gaze  down  into  one  of  the  chimneys  of 
the  earth. 

I  had  thought  to  stay  two  years,  but  will  not  do 
so  now  and  hope  to  return  in  the  early  spring. 

"The  day  we  celebrate"  has  just  passed;  'tis 
lonely,  indeed,  to  be  among  strangers  in  a  foreign 
clime,  at  such  a  season,  and  sigh  for  home  and  the 
pleasant  gathering  of  loved  ones  around  the  hearth- 
fire,  to  say  nothing  of  the  recollections  of  grand- 
mother's plum  pudding  and  mince  pie — the  "great 
American  desert." 

May  the  day  with  you  have  been  wholly  enjoy- 
able, not  more  pleasant  in  anticipation  than  in  reality 
and  retrospect. 

But  Thanksgiving  is  over,  New  Year's  and  Leap 
Year  are  all  at  hand.  May  they  leave  us  (you  and  I, 
as  the  French  say)  happier,  better  and  more  com- 
fortable than  they  find  us. 

I  shall  return  to  my  native  land  with  pleasure; 
but  intending  to  see  Europe  again.  I  shall  think  more 
highly  than  ever  of  our  own  people  and  institutions; 
but  still  finding  an  endless  fund  of  interest  in  these 
old  and  varied  regions. 

Hoping  to  see  you  shortly  after  my  arrival,  I  am 
Sincerely, 

EARL    EDMUNDS. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  109 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"Hast  not  thy  share?    On  winged  feet 
Lo!  it  rushes  thee  to  meet; 
And  all  that  nature  made  thy  own 
Floating  in  air  or  pent  in  stone, 
Will  rive  the  hills  and  swim  the  sea 
And,  like  thy  shadow,  follow  thee." 

Try  just  as  far  as  possible  to  find  the  pleasure 
of  your  life,  in  the  work  to  which  it  has  been  settled 
that  your  life  must  be  given.  Make  it  delightful  by 
the  affections  which  cluster  around  it,  -by  the  help 
which  you  are  able  through  it,  to  give  to  other  peo- 
ple, by  the  education  which  your  own  faculties  are 
getting  out  of  it.— Phillips  Brooks. 

After  leaving  college  Lavinia  and  Gen- 
eva had  to  be  separated,  Geneva  going  to 
New  York  as  private  secretary  to  Mr.  Whit- 
ney, while  Lavinia  became  editor  of  the 
woman's  department  of  the  Herald,  as  she 
wished  to  remain  at  home  with  her  mother. 

Mr.  Edmunds  returned  from  Europe  in 
Februarv  and  came  to  see  Lavinia  at  once. 


110  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

They  spent  many  pleasant  hours  riding, 
driving  and  boating,  but  Lavinia  could  not 
forget  Ammi — her  love  for  him  triumphed 
in  the  end,  as  true  love  always  does,  for 
"  'Tis  love  that  makes  the  world  go  round," 
and,  although  a  poor  man,  she  preferred 
his  love  to  the  position  and  rank  offered 
by  Mr.  Edmunds,  the  son  of  the  late  min- 
ister to  France. 

Geneva  was  the  only  one  in  whom  La- 
vinia confided  her  romance. 

New  York,  April  13,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia: — 

Some  one  has  said  that  an  unfailing  source  of 
pleasant  meditation  and  profitable  study  may  be 
found  in  these  words  of  Prof.  Drummond's:  "There 
are  but  three  simple  elements  in  life,  and  they  are 
fitly  illustrated  in  Millet's  Angelus.  They  are  work, 
the  presence  of  God,  and  love."  With  me  the  abund- 
ance of  the  first  element  almost  crowds  out  the  other 
two,  for  of  late  I  can  find  little  time  for  anything  ex- 
cept the  stern  realities  of  life. 

How  seemingly  ungrateful  I  am — a  letter  so  full 
of  poetry,  sparkling  wit,  works  of  art — and  last  a 
picture  of  yourself — to  go  unanswered  so  many  days; 
but  so  much  has  happened  to  prevent  my  writing. 

Your  lovely,  long  letter  was  like  one  of  our  old 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  Ill 

fashioned  talks,  and  I  thoroughly  enjoyed  your  ro- 
mance—have no  fear  of  my  divulging  your  secret. 
You  did  not  ask  for  my  advice;  but  I  am  going  to 
give  it.  Doesn't  common  sense  teach  you  that  this 
is  altogether  too  progressive  an  age  for  love?  and 
the  next  best  thing  is  position,  and  knowing  the  .posi- 
tion of  his  family,  I  should  be  very  reluctant  in  say- 
ing anything  to  displease  him.  They  say  that  posi- 
tion and  wealth  do  not  always  bring  happiness;  but 
it  seems  to  me  that  it  can  buy  a  great  deal,  and  I 
fail  to  pity  those  who  don't  know  how  to  use  it 
and  are  not  happy  with  all  they  want  of  this  world's 
goods. 

My  one  ambition  is  money  and  position,  therefore, 
I  again  impress  it  upon  you,  not  to  expect  too  much 
— man  is  far  from  perfect — and  think  how  nice  it 
would  be  to  entertain  extensively;  oh!  I  just  wish  I 
could  talk  to  you  straight  for  ten  minutes — but  then 
I  suppose  your  mind  is  made  up  and  you  will  go 
your  own  sweet  way.  Then  again,  traveling  abroad, 
seeing  something  of  the  world,  I  could  be  real  cross 
with  you,  to  think  all  these  things  do  not  suggest 
themselves  to  you.  In  any  event — I  promise  you  se- 
crecy, and  whatever  you  do,  you  will  always  be  to 
me,  the  best  girl  friend  I  have  ever  had. 

I  frequently  meet  Mr.  Burnham,  your  widower 
in  A — .  He  still  has  the  "band-box"  appearance — 
but  never  knows  me,  so  I  pass  silently  on. 

Your  picture  is  good — I  appreciate  the  "hot  coals," 
and  will  certainly  remember  you  with  my  next. 

I  attended  a  Shakespeare  night  at  our  literary  club, 
and  alas!  I  never  before  fully  realized  the  meaning 
of  these  lines:  "Some  men  are  born  great,  others 


112  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

achieve  greatness;  but  some  have  greatness  thrust 
upon  them."  I  certainly  was  not  born  great,  have 
never  achieved  greatness,  and  do  not  expect  to  have 
greatness  thrust  upon  me. 

The  news  I  wrote  you  in  my  last  letter  probably 
destroyed  your  ideal  of  our  mutual  friend  M.  but  1 
could  not  help  it.  He  is  contemptible  and  I  hate 
him  now  as  much  as  I  once  liked  him — don't  write 
him  and  would  be  very  glad  if  I  never  saw  him  again. 
It  is  too  long  a  story  to  write. 

"I  sigh  for  thee." 

Yours,  GENEVA. 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  April  27,  188 — . 
My  Dear  Geneva: — 

The  evening  glow  softens  into  the  twilight  and 
the  twilight  slips  into  the  darkness  and  as  I  sit  musing 
my  thoughts  naturally  turn  to  my  absent  friends — I 
miss  you  more  than  I  can  tell. 

Your  letter  was  indeed  a  welcome  one.  I  had 
been  so  disappointed  upon  receiving  none.  I  often 
think  of  that  passage  from  Lucile, 

"Those  little  missives  that  decide  if  our  day 
Shall  be  fretful  and  anxious  or  joyous  and  gay." 

I  am  sorry  that  you  should  have  had  such  trials 
and  tribulations— some  times  of  late  I  have  felt  like 
saying  with  Jeremiah,  the  prophet,  "None  other  is 
afflicted  like  unto  me." 

But  every  one  has  trials  and  the  longer  I  read  in 
my  "book  of  life,"  the  more  I  am  convinced  that  "men 
are  enigmas,"  and  hard  to  solve. 

Sunday,  the  13th,  is  my  birthday  and  as  you  know, 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  113 

I  am .    I  can't  realize  it;  but  I  am  so  glad  I 

don't  live  in  the  days  of  "old  maids" — how  dreadful 
the  name!  I  shall  get  out  my  poetry  about  the  "Bach- 
elor Girl,"  and  rejoice  that  I  am  still  single;  I'm  not 
like  the  girl  who  married  because  she  didn't  want 
"Miss"  on  her  tombstone. 

Have  just  finished  reading  "Polly  Oliver's  Prob- 
lem," read  it,  if  you  haven't  already  done  so.  It's 
a  bright  little  book,  so  many  apt  passages. 

"Dr.  George's  advice  to  Polly,  as  it  sounded  that 
gray,  October  afternoon  by  the  sea,  'When  the  sun 
of  one's  happiness  is  set,  one  lights  a  candle  called 
Patience,  and  guides  one's  footsteps  by  that.'  " 

The  book  has  helped  me.  I  am  sorry  to  have 
my  ideal  destroyed;  still  I  am  not  so  surprised,  as 
one  after  another  has  been  shattered. 

My  candle  called  'Patience'  has  been  lighted  a 
long  time  and  has  burned  low.  I  shall  remain  a 
"Bachelor  Maid,"  for  I  am  convinced  the  longer  I 
live,  that  you  require  precisely  the  same  thing  in 
matrimony  as  in  eating  sausage — "absolute  confi- 
dence." 

Write  soon;  your  letters  are  like  an  oasis  in  the 
desert  of  life — a  bright  spot  to  the  weary  traveler. 

Hoping  your  skies  may  brighten, 

Yours  and  yours,         LAVINIA. 

P.  S. — What  a  changing  world!  As  the  wheel  of 
fortune  turns  around  some  go  up,  others  down,  oftener 
down.  You  remember  our  friend  in  Brookline;  her 
father  recently  died,  insolvent,  and  now,  instead  of 
luxury  and  wealth,  she  is  working  in  an  office  in 
Boston. 


114  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

I  enclose  a  copy  of 

"THE   BACHELOR   GIRL." 
"What  do  I  gain  by  marriage? 
Advantages  very  few. 
I  don't  care  a  cent  for  a  carriage, 
And  a  bicycle  built  for  two  won't  do. 
I  have  my  profession,  my  den  and  my  meals, 
With  a  dozen  (?)  admirers  to  flock  at  my  heels. 
No  mother-in-law  to  dissect  me  each  day — 
No  husband's  commands  to  encumber  my  way; 
If  Jack  becomes  tedious,  I  smile  upon  Joe, 
When  both  threaten  boredom,  there's  Will,  don't  you 

know! 

When  I  need  an  excursion,  by  boat  or  by  train, 
I  don't  have  to  wheedle  or  coax  or  explain; 
I  go  where  I  like  and  I  do  as  I  please, 
If  a  man  becomes  forward,  I  soon  make  him  freeze; 
And  it's  got  to  be  something  uncommonly  fine 
In  the  much  over-done  matrimonial  line, 
A  man  of  perfection — the  absolute  pearl 
Who  can  capture  the  heart  of  this  Bachelor  Girl." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  115 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"What  is  hope?    A  smiling  rainbow 

Children  follow  thro'  the  wet; 
Tis  not  here,  still  yonder,  yonder, 
Never  urchin  found  it  yet. 

"What  is  life?    A  thawing  iceberg 

On  a  sea  with  cunning  shore; 
Gay  we  sail.    We  are  sunk 
And  seen  no  more." 

June  had  come  again,  with  its 

"Roses  carpeting  the  ground, 
Thrushes',  orioles'  warbling  sound." 

Mrs.  Winship  had  decided  to  open  the 
house  at  Newport,  as  she  knew  it  was  Mr. 
Winship's  wish,  but  of  course  there  would 
be  no  festivities — just  a  quiet  summer — 
with  Mrs.  Erskin  and  Lavinia  as  the  only 
guests.  Lucile  had  planned  a  visit  to  Chi- 
cago. 

She  was  very  anxious  to  take  a  trip  on 


116  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

the  lakes,  but  as  a  friend  was  going  on  the 
train,  she  concluded  to  go  with  her  and 
return  by  way  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  St. 
Lawrence.  She  spent  several  happy  weeks 
in  "dear,  dear,  old  dirty  Chicago,"  as  she 
and  Lavinia  always  said,  but  the  day  caine 
for  her  departure.  She  had  taken  passage 
on  the  California  for  Buffalo.  The  night 
was  dark,  threatening  clouds  overhung  the 
horizon;  there  was  a  deathly  calm  that 
sometimes  precedes  a  storm.  The  clouds 
grew  blacker  and  a  little  after  midnight 
the  gale  increased  until  it  was  like  a  hurri- 
cane. It  must  indeed  be  a  staunch  vessel 
that  could  withstand  such  a  tempest  and 
not  one  on  board  was  left  to  tell  the  tale. 
The  morning's  papers  contained  an  ac- 
count of  the  wreck,  and  Mr.  Howard  start- 
ed immediately  for  -  — ,  Michigan,  where 
Lucile's  body  and  trunk  had  been  washed 
ashore. 

He   telegraphed   Mrs.    Erskin   to   come 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  117 

home,  as  he  would  reach  Boston  Tuesday 
with  the  body. 

She  was  almost  crushed,  but  Lavinia 
bore  up  bravely  and  tried  to  comfort  her 
mother  by  saying,  "Don't  weep  so,  mother, 
dear;  remember  you  still  have  one  daugh- 
ter left,  who  will  devote  her  life  to  you  as 
long  as  she  lives." 

Mrs.  Erskin  stopped  sobbing. 

"Yes,  La-vinia,  you  have  always  been  a 
comfort,  and  now,  although  a  great  shock, 
I'll  try  to  be  resigned  and  say,  'Thy  will, 
not  mine.' " 

It  was  indeed  a  very  trying  hour  when 
Mr.  Howard  arrived  with  the  remains,  but 
Mrs.  Erskin  had  grown  calmer,  and  with 
Lavinia's  support,  the  last  sad  ceremonies 

passed  "as  in  a  dream." 

******* 

Nearly  five  years  have  gone  tumbling 
down  the  corridors  of  time  since  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richardson  embarked  for  sunny 


118  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

France.  They  had  traveled  in  every  coun- 
try in  Europe,  and  while  sojourning  in  Italy 
a  little  son  was  born  and  later  a  daugh- 
ter, so  that  little  Raymond  was  now  past 
three  years  of  age  and  Chellis  almost  one. 
His  mother  was  president  of  a  whist 
club,  and  when  the  little  stranger  came  he 
was  presented  with  a  beautiful  silver  cup, 
with  these  lines,  composed  by  one  of  the 
ladies  of  the  club: 

TO  OUR  SMALL  FOSTER  ADDITION. 
"Hearty  greetings  to  our  little  trump! 
May  he  grow  tall  and  strong  and  plump. 
May  he  wield  the  spade,  of  clubs  be  wary; 
Have  plenty  of  diamonds,  and  a  true  heart  marry. 
May  he  bow  humbly  to  king  and  queen, 
Favoring  the  ace  when  four  small  ones  are  seen. 
May  he  be  loyal  to  the  eleventh  rule, 
May  he  follow  suit  and  Foster's  schoo.l. 
May  he  aid  the  weak,  vanquish  the  strong, 
Avoid  sneaks  and  all  that  is  wrong. 
In  short,  may  our  President's  cleverness  inherit 
Her  interest,  her  energy,  so  deserving  of  true  merit." 

One  evening  when  Mrs.  Richardson  had 
company  in  the  parlor  below  little  Ray- 
mond wouldn't  be  pacified  by  the  nurse, 


RAYMOND. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  119 

but  insisted  upon  seeing  his  mamma.  She 
told  him  that  God  was  with  him  and  would 
take  care  of  him,  and  after  telling  him  a 
few  of  his  favorite  stories,  returned  to  her 
guests. 

Fully  an  hour  afterward  the  portieres 
parted  and  a  little  white-robed  figure  en- 
tered, saying,  "Mamma,  you  turn  up  and 
tay  with  Dod  awhile,  and  let  me  turn  in 
here." 

Mr.  Richardson  one  day  mentioned  to 
his  wife  that  Mrs.  Pembroke  was  a  grass- 
widow.  The  next  day  little  Dave  came  up 
to  his  mother  and  said,  "What  is  a  grass- 
widder?"  She  always  explained  every- 
thing to  him,  and,  taking  him  on  her  lap, 
she  replied,  "Supposing  your  papa  should 
go  away  and  leave  you  and  me  and  never 
come  back,  then  I  would  be  a  grass- 
widow." 

Looking  up  quickly  he  said,  "What  would 
I  be  then,  a  grasshopper?" 


120  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Mr.  Richardson  decided  to  return  to  little 
Oshkosh,  and  on  their  way  called  to  see 
Lavinia,  having  heard  of  their  sorrow. 

While  at  lunch  the  postman  brought  a 
letter  from  Mrs.  Howard  and  as  all  were 
interested  Lavinia  read  aloud: 

El  Paso,  Texas,  Feb.  1,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia: — 

Your  letter  reached  me  "after  many  days."  Soon 
after  Louis  returned  from  his  sad  mission  to  you, 
he  was  again  taken  with  "la  grippe,"  much  worse 
than  before,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  travel, 
we  again  sought  relief  in  the  climate  of  "Old  Mexico;" 
but  owing  to  the  extreme  poverty  and  inconveniences 
we  went  down  to  the  City  of  Mexico  in  the  shortest 
possible  time  and  hurried  back  to  the  States.  Oh! 
it  is  something  terrible,  the  degraded  condition  ot 
the  Mexicans.  To  be  sure,  there  is  an  upper  class, 
but  at  best,  it  is  squalor  and  poverty  on  all  sides. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  is  a  beautiful,  sunny  retreat, 
no  wraps  are  worn,  and  roses  budding  in  the  plazas  or 
parks.  I  went  through  the  Alamo  Fort,  which  stood 
through  two  sieges  in  the  Mexican  War.  It  was  built 
for  a  monastery  in  the  17th  century  by  the  Mexicans 
and  of  course  when  Texas  was  their  territory.  I  was 
in  the  room  where  General  Bowie  (inventor  of  bowie 
knives)  was  shot.  Altogether  it  is  an  inter Bsting 
town,  primitive  in  many  ways,  and  inhabited  largely 
by  Mexicans  and  negroes. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  121 

Houses  are  thrown  open,  as  in  midsummer,  and 
the  climate  is  like  a  perfect  June  day  in  Wisconsin. 

The  place  was  quarantined  before  we  arrived— 
small-pox  among  the  Mexicans,  they  are  so  dirty.  I 
suppose  you  know  "why  love  is  like  the  small-pox?" — 
haid  to  tell  whether  it's  the  genuine  disease  or  the 
varioloid. 

We  reached  El  Paso  Thursday,  after  twenty-four 
hours'  travel  from  San  Antonio.  Texas  is  an  immense 
state  and  one  only  realizes  its  vastness  when  they 
attempt  to  cross  it.  It  took  us  forty-eight  hours  frem 
Texarkana  to  El  Paso.  Think  of  it! 

Louis  is  not  much  better.  I  think  we  shall  have 
to  leave  Chicago  permanently,  as  he  can  never  live 
in  that  climate.  Just  where  we  will  locate  I  do  not 
know,  but  meantime  are  prospecting  for  the  best 
place  for  health  and  business. 

We  have  been  down  to  Quarez,  Old  Mexico.  It 
is  very  queer  to  walk  along  their  narrow  streets;  you 
look  at  everybody  and  everybody  looks  at  you;  you 
are  as  much  of  a  curiosity  to  them  as  they  are  to 
you.  The  houses  have  no  windows  and  you  can  walk 
blocks  by  a  one-story  structure  with  occasional  doors 
and  wonder  what  it  is. 

A  fence  I  first  thought — a  fence  with  many  gates. 
There  are  no  two-story  buildings  except  in  very  large 
cities;  all  are  built  of  mud-bricks  and  are  called 
"adobes." 

Mexican  men  wear  hats  from  ten  inches  to  a  foot 
high,  with  broad  brims;  the  name  is  "sombrero." 

Mexicans  live  chiefly  on  "tortillas,"  a  corn  pan- 
cake; their  drink  is  "pulque,"  the  juice  of  the  cactus 
concocted  into  a  slimy  drink. 


122  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

The  people  in  the  states  are  in  good  circumstances, 
many  very  wealthy,  all  are  hospitable. 

Lavinia,  I  know  that  you  believe  in  prayer.  Will 
you  pray  that  Louis  may  be  restored  to  health?  I 
pray  so  hard;  but  always  try  to  say  "If  it.  is  Thy  will." 
I  have  been  heart  sore  and  sick,  but  try  to  build  up 
strength  on  His  promise,  "Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask 
in  my  name,  that  will  I  do.': 

I  spent  a  miserable  Xmas:  although  I  had  some 
elegant  gifts  I  could  not  appreciate  them  under  the 
circumstances. 

Tell  Mr.  F.  I  shall  be  singing  the  praises  of  the 
far  West  the  next  time  I  see  him — Chicago  will  be 
a  thing  of  the  past. 

You  remember  I  tried  to  make  him  believe  Chicago 
was  superior  to  the  eastern  cities,  and  he  told  me 
that  a  Chicago  man  could  never  be  polite  because 
he  was  always  111.  bred. 

Tell  the  other  gentleman  whom  I  met  to  leave 
all  his  good  clothes  at  home  when  he  comes  down 
here,  as  well  dressed  gentlemen  are  not  tolerated.  Let 
me  describe  an  M.  D.'s  apparel:  gray  corduroy  panta- 
loons tucked  in  top  boots,  black  corduroy  coat  and 
wide  brimmed,  white  felt  hat;  he  came  to  the  hotel 
horseback  to  see  his  patients.  A  silk  hat  is  never 
seen  here;  if  it  is  seen  once  it  is  never  seen  again. 

Give  my  love  to  your  dear  mother.  I  hope  she  has 
recovered  from  the  dreadful  shock.  Write  often,  your 
letters  will  be  forwarded.  We  leave  the  15th. 

Yours, 
VICTORIA  HEATHCOTE  HOWARD. 

"What  a  long  and  interesting  letter,"  ex- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH  123 

claimed  Chellis;  "she  lias  her  share  of  sor- 
row, too." 

"Everyone  has  something;  there  is  no 
perfect  happiness,"  said  Mrs.  Erskin. 

"Dew  drops  at  night  are  diamonds  at 
morn,  so  the  tears  we  shed  here  may  be 
pearls  in  heaven." 

"Emerson  says,  'The  joy  of  the  spirit  in- 
dicates the  strength,'  "  Lavinia  added ;  "let 
us  try  to  be  cheerful  under  affliction's  rod." 

"You  know  'night  brings  out  the  stars,' 
so  trials  reveal  a  person's  character,  as  gold 
that  has  been  tried  by  fire." 


124  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTEK  XIII. 

"Woman — the  fairest  work  in  all  creation;  the 
edition  is  large  and  no  man  should  be  without  a 
copy." 

She  is  a  woman,  therefore  may  be  wooed; 
She  is  a  woman,  therefore  may  be  won. 

— Titus  Andronicus. 

Mr.  Wright  resolved  to  spend  his  vaca- 
tion at  his  old  home  in  Boston  and  see 
Lavinia;  he  felt  "that  absence  makes  the 
heart  grow  stronger;"  was  it  the  same  with 
Lavinia,  or  had  she  found  someone  else? 

He  had  read  the  sad  news  of  the  acci- 
dent in  a  Melbourne  paper  soon  after  it 
occurred,  and  when  the  steamer  landed  he 
hastened  at  once  to  Cambridge. 

Mrs.  Erskin  had  gone  for  a  drive  with 
a  kind  neighbor  and  he  found  Lavinia 
alone.  The  surprise  was  too  great;  for  a 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  125 

moment  she  lost  self-control  and  shed  a 
few  tears  of  joy. 

It  didn't  take  long  for  explanations,  and 
ere  Mrs.  Erskin  returned  there  were  pros- 
pects of  a  wedding  in  June. 

When  the  day  was  decided  Geneva  was, 
of  course,  the  first  to  know  of  the  arrange- 
ments, and  by  return  mail  came  these 
lines: 

New  York,  Sept.  19,  188—. 
The  day  is  long  and  long  the  night, 
The  rain  falls  fast  and  its  drip,  drip,  drip 

Seerns   like  ghostly   fingers  tapping; 
And  ever  and  anon  with  a  lonesome  sound, 
The  wind  at  the  casement  sweeps  around, 

And  at  the  door  seems  rapping. 

The  night  is  dark;   but  within  the  room 
The  lamps  and  the  firelight  banish  the  gloom 

Of  the  dusky  shadows  looming; 
But  a  shadow  beside  my  chair  still  stands 
And  it  holds  to  my  view  in  its  ghastly  hands 

The  sorrow  so  surely  coming. 

As  the  shadow  stands  beside  my  chair, 
It  seems  to  be  whispering  in  my  ear 
And  bids  me  think  of  the  time 


126  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

When  orange  blossoms  and  laces  rare 
Will  deck  a  form  so  wondrous  fair 
And  wedding  bells  will  chime. 

When  one,  long  with  me  day  by  day, 
Will  soon  be  gone  from  her  place  away, 

Another  life  to  bless; 

For  I  know  that  a  heart  so  true  and  strong 
Was  never  meant  to  live  alone, 

With  no  one  to  caress. 

I  saw  a  little  recipe  in  the  "Baltimore  American," 
written  by  a  Baltimore  lady,  that  possibly  may  be  of 
service  to  you  until  you  can  find  a  better  recipe. 

I  don't  mean  that  the  first  part  applies  to  you; 
but  think  the  recipe  is  too  good  to  lose,  and  is  apro- 
pos to  the  subject. 

Yours  for  joy, 

GENEVA. 

HOW  TO  COOK  HUSBANDS. 

"A  great  many  husbands  are  utterly  spoiled  by 
mismanagement.  Some  women  treat  their  husbands 
as  though  they  were  bladders  and  blow  them  up. 
Others  keep  them  constantly  in  hot  water;  others  let 
them  freeze  by  their  carelessness-  and  indifference. 
Some  keep  them  in  a  stew  by  irritating  ways  and 
words.  Others  roast  them.  Some  keep  them  in  pickle 
all  their  lives.  It  cannot  be  supposed  any  husband 
will  be  tender  and  good  if  managed  in  this  way; 
but  they  are  really  delicious  when  properly  treated. 

In   selecting  your    husband   you   should    not   be 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  127 

guided  by  the  silvery  appearance,  as  in  buying  mack- 
erel, nor  by  the  golden  tint,  as  if  you  wanted  salmon. 
Be  sure  to  select  him  yourself,  as  tastes  differ.  Do 
not  go  to  market  for  him,  -as  the  best  are  always 
brought  to  your  door.  It  is  far  better  to  have  none, 
unless  you  patiently  learn  how  to  cook  him. 

A  preserving  kettle  of  the  finest  porcelain  is  best. 
See  that  the  linen  in  which  you  wrap  him  is  nicely 
washed  and  mended,  with  the  required  number  of 
buttons  and  strings  neatly  sewed  on. 

Tie  him  in  the  kettle  by  a  strong,  silk  cord,  called 
comfort,  as  the  one  called  duty  is  apt  to  be  weak. 
They  are  apt  to  fly  out  of  the  kettle  and  be  burned 
and  crusty  on  the  edges,  since,  like  crabs  and  lob- 
sters, you  have  to  cook  them  while  alive. 

Make  a  clear,  steady  fire  out  of  love,  cheerfulness 
and  neatness;  set  him  as  near  this  as  seems  to  agree 
with  him.  If  he  sputters  and  fizzes,  do  not  be  anx- 
ious; some  husbands  do  this  till  they  are  quite  ten- 
der. Add  a  little  sugar  in  the  form  of  what  confec- 
tioners call  kisses;  but  no  vinegar  or  pepper  on  any 
account.  A  little  spice  improves  them;  but  must 
be  used  with  judgment.  Watch,  the  while,  lest  he  lie 
too  close  to  the  kettle  and  so  become  useless. 

If  thus  treated  you  will  find  him  very  digestible, 
agreeing  nicely  with  you  and  the  children,  and  he 
will  keep  as  long  as  you  want,  unless  you  become 
careless  and  set  him  in  too  cold  a  place." 


128  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MIZPAH. 

"I  said  good-bye  and  held  your  hands, 
And  said  'Farewell,'  and  went  away, 
Well  knowing  that  another  day 
Would  speed  you  forth  to  other  lands, 
And  down  the  summer-scented  street, 
I  heard  your  echoing  voice  repeat 
The  Hebrew  motto,  quaint  and  sweet — 
'Mizpah.' 

Thousands  of  miles  between  us  lay 
When  autumn  passed,  in  lingering  flight, 
And  drenched  with  fragrant  dew  at  night 
The  woodland  fires  he  lit  by  day; 
But  all  the  golden  distance  through, 
From  you  to  me  and  me  to  you, 
Went  out  the  tender  prayer  and  true — 
'Mizpah.' 

The  winter  night  falls  cold  and  bleak; 
I  sit,  in  saddened  mood  alone, 
And  listen  to  the  wind's  low  moan, 
And  hide  a  fear  I  dare  not  speak. 
For  you  are  far,  so  far  away, 
And  younger  lips  have  turned  to  clay; 
Dear  love!  I  tremble  while  I  pray, 
'Mizpah.' 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  129 

But  spring  shall  blossom  up  the  plain, 
And  Easter  lilies  scent  the  air, 
And  song-birds  riot  everywhere, 
And  heart  and  hope  grow  glad  again, 
Yet  still  my  nightly  prayer  shall  be 
Though  swallows  build  or  swallows  flee, 
Until  my  love  come  back  to  me, 
'Mizpah.' 

And  when,  with  flowers  of  June  you  come, 
And  face  to  face  again  we  stand, 
And  heart  to  heart  and  hand  to  hand, 
O  love!  within  the  one  dear  home, 
We  shall  not  need  to  say  again, 
In  winter's  snow  or  summer's  rain, 
Till  death  shall  part  us  twain, 
'Mizpah.'  " 

Neither  Mr.  Wright  nor  Laviuia  wished 
to  make  their  home  in  Melbourne;  of  course 
Lavinia  wouldn't  for  a  moment  think  of 
going  so  far  awpy  from  her  mother,  and 
Mr.  Wright  preferred  returning  to  his  na- 
tive land.  He  sailed  in  October  to  settle 
up  business  affairs  and  persuade  his  par- 
ents to  return  with  him  in  Ma}'.  Lavinia 
was  loth  to  have  him  go,  but  he  said,  "Cheer 
up,  I'll  soon  be  back  again." 

"Yes,  but  since  Lucile  was  drowned  I 


ISO  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

dread  the  water,  and  you  know  I  used  to 
be  so  fond  of  the  sea." 

At  first  the  days  passed  slowly  enough. 
She  was  glad  to  have  the  evenings  by  the 
fireside  with  her  mother. 

"This  is  New  Year's  eve,"  said  Lavinia; 
"I  don't  like  holidays;  there  is  always  a 
feeling  of  sadness,  especially  when  sepa- 
rated from  those  we  love." 

At  the  close  of  Ammi's  letter,  wrhich  was 
ready  for  the  morning's  mail,  she  wrote: 

"The  autumn  leaves  have  fallen, 
The  autumn  winds  are  chill, 
And  Winter's  snowy  banner 
Floats  over  vale  and  hill. 
The  frost  with  fairy  fingers 
Has  turned  the  woods  to  flame 
But  Winter's  icy  breezes 
Have  swept  them  bare  again. 
With  many  a  shake  and  shiver 
I  look  from  my  window-pane, 
And  wonder  if  the  sun  will  ever 
Unlock  these  chains  again. 
But  a  thrill  of  joy  comes  o'er  me 
As  I  think  of  the  time  to  come 
When  the  Old  Year  will  be  dying 
And  the  New  Year  will  be  born, 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  131 

For  soon  will  come  the  blessing 

The  crown  of  a  woman's  life, 

The  joy,  the  fond  caressing 

To  me,  a  happy  wife. 

Each  joy  of  my  life  will  be  doubled 

With  another  that  joy  to  share, 

Each  sorrow  of  life  will  be  lessened 

With  another  that  sorrow  to  bear. 

An  open  book  lies  before  me, 

And  I  must  write  therein. 

What  will  the  record  be,  tell  me? 

For  my  eyes  with  tears  are  dim. 

An  open  book  before  me, 

Its  pages  are  very  fair, 

Not  a  word  is  written  on  them, 

Not  a  line  nor  a  blot  is  there. 

Within  that  book  must  be  written 

The  record  of  my  life, 

But  on  the  first  page,  only, 

'To-day  I'm  a  happy  wife.' 

What  will  it  be  to-morrow? 

What  will  it  be  next  year? 

What  shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  life? 

Shall  I  close  it  with  a  tear? 

Or  when  my  life  is  over 

And  I  stand  before  the  throne, 

And  the  book  of  my  life  is  opened, 

Shall  I  hear  the  words,  'Well  done?'  " 

There  is  nothing  like  work  to  help  one 
forget  his  loneliness  or  trouble,  and  the 
weeks  passed  quickly  by  until  Lavinia's 


132  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

birthday  arrived.    As  she  sat  in  retrospec- 
tion, feeling  rather  lonely,  she  wrote: 

"I  sit  here  by  my  fireside 
On  my  twenty-fourth  birthday, 
And  dreamily  look  at  the  future, 
And  think,  shall  I  always  stay 
A  maiden  free  and  happy 
With  a  heart  as  light  as  air, 
With  never  a  pang  of  sorrow 
And  never  a  thought  of  care? 
Shall  my  days  be  full  of  brightness, 
Or  just  enough  of  shade, 
That  when  the  night  approaches 
And  the  last  good-byes  are  said, 
As  I  look  back  on  the  pathway 
My  earthly  feet  have  trod 
Shall  I  see  that  the  hand  that  led  me 
Was  the  loving  hand  of  God? 
As  I  look  along  that,  pathway 
Will  it  be  with  roses  strewn? 
Shall  I  find  no  thorns  among  them? 
Shall  I  never  find  a  stone? 
And  all  along  that  pathway 
Shall  I  never  find  a  place 
Where  darkness  thick  surrounds  me 
And  God  has  hid  his  face? 
I  know  not  what  to  ask  for — 
For  I  know  not  what  is  best; 
But  I'll  take  whate'er  He  sends  me 
And  with  Him  leave  all  the  rest. 
They  say  that  the  oak  in  the  forest 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  133 

That  is  sheltered  from  wind  and  storm, 
Will  never  grow  tall  and  stately 
Will  ne'er  grow  large  and  strong. 
And  it  may  be  that  our  lives  here 
Need  many  a  sorrow  and  care, 
To  fit  us  for  the  heaven 
That  He  has  gone  to  prepare. 
So,  as  I  sit  by  the  fireside 
On  my  twenty-fourth  birthday, 
I  pray  that  God  will  take  my  hand 
And  lead  me  all  the  way. 
And  should  my  days  be  happy 
And  my  heart  be  full  of  song 
Or  should  the  days  be  dark  and  drear, 
And  the  way  He  leads  me  long, 
Beneath  His  arm  I'm  sheltered 
And   safe  from   every  ill, 
'Tis  my  Father's  hand  that  leads  me, 
And  He  doeth  all  things  well." 

The  afternoon  mail  brought  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Ames,  who  was  traveling  in  California 
and  had  only  just  received  the  letter  tell- 
ing of  her  engagement. 

Riverside,  Gal.,  Feb.  13,  188—. 
My  Dear  Lavinia: — 

In  the  dark,  damp,  dreariness  of  this  most  dismal 
rainy  Sunday,  (just  such  a  day  as  the  Puritans  loved, 
when  they  knew  that  so  many  helpless  sinners  were 
quite  as  wet  and  uncomfortable  as  themselves  and 


134  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

therefore  rejoiced),  the  only  bright  spot  is  the  sil- 
vered "L"  surmounting  the  little  note  handed  me 
yesterday,  and  which  I  feel  privileged  to  answer,  be- 
ing especially  pleased  to  offer  my  congratulations 
to  you,  for  securing  a  prize  in  the  "lottery  of  life" 
— for  matrimony  is  a  lottery,  with  many  blanks — 
but  I  feel  confident  that  Mr.  Wright  will  prove  a 
"first  prize,"  for  of  all  my  acquaintances  he  is  the 
one  gentleman  I  would  choose  for  my  sister,  were 
the  choice  left  to  me. 

In  memory  of  our  trip  to  West  Point,  pardon  a 
few  lines.  Before  leaving  the  East,  last  June,  I  at- 
tended the  25th  anniversary  graduating  dinner  and 
found  many  changes,  also  many  interesting  places  but 
slightly  altered. 

On  Trophy  Point  has  been  erected  a  huge  monu- 
ment in  memory  of  the  officers  of  the  regular  army 
killed  in  the  War  of  '61-65;  surmounted  most  appro- 
priately by  a  golden  figure  bearing  wreath  and  trum- 
pet, the  former  to  crown  the  heroes,  the  latter  to 
proclaim  their  valor.  With  the  trumpet  she  oddly 
enough  points  toward  an  old  oak  tree  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  where,  under  the  shade  of  the  wide  spread- 
ing arms,  a  little  group  of  thirteen  was  once  seated, 
resting  from  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day.  Mem- 
ory brought  back  the  scene — the  river  quickly  mov- 
ing, under  the  shadow  of  high  mountains,  bearing 
the  wealth  of  the  West  to  the  great  ocean,  the  peace- 
ful landscape  with  its  buildings  occupied  by  those 
whose  lives  are  devoted  to  war  or  preparing  therefor. 
In  the  immediate  foreground  a  tribute  or  testimonial 
of  sympathy,  not  recognized  or  observed  by  a  care- 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  135 

less  public,  but  none  the  less  to  be  remembered  and 
cherished  by  those  present. 

May  your  life  always  be  as  bright  as  it  has  been, 
is  the  wish  of 

Yours  Sincerely, 

E.  G.  AMES. 

"April  chased  off  March  to-day, 
Now  I  catch  a  glimpse  of  May." 

Lavinia  had  been  expecting  a  telegram 
telling  her  of  Ammi's  arrival.  He  wrote 
that  he  would  sail  in  April  and  hoped  to 
reach  Boston  about  May  first.  She  little 
knew  the  trying  ordeal  through  which  Am- 
mi  was  passing.  That  very  moment  he  was 
languishing  behind  prison  bars,  in  his  far 
away  home. 

The  morning  that  he  had  expected  to 
sail,  the  sheriff  came  with  a  warrant  to  ar- 
rest him,  showing  him  a  cuff  button  with 
the  initials  "A.  W." 

"Are  not  these  your  initials?" 

"Certainly,"  Ammi  replied.  "I  lost  it  at 
the  office  last  night.  I  was  there  until 
quite  late,  settling  up  an  account  that 


136  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

came  in  late,  and  seeing  that  everything 
was  left  in  proper  order." 

"And  is  not  this  your  writing?"  the  offi- 
cer said,  producing  a  letter  signed  "A. 
W.,"  written  to  a  friend  in  New  York,  say- 
ing that  he  would  close  the  deal  for  the 
land  when  he  reached  America,  as  he  hoped 
to  have  ten  thousand  dollars. 

"You  must  have  dropped  it  in  your  hur- 
ry. That  and  the  sleeve  button  were  found 
by  the  office  boy  this  morning.  I  see  you 
recognize  the  writing.  Perhaps  you  can 
explain  about  this  letter  as  well  as  you 
did  about  the  cuff  button.  Ten  thousand 
dollars  are  stolen!" 

Ammi  turned  pale  as  he  read  it,  and  saw 
that  it  was  an  exact  copy  of  his  writing, 
and  thought  what  a  base  plot  to  destroy 
his  coming  happiness  and  his  good  name 
that  had  always  been  so  dear  to  him. 

"The  villain!"  exclaimed  Ammi,  "who 
would  dare  such  a  bold  scheme!  Why 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  137 

should  I  be  rewarded  for  my  faithfulness 
by  their  believing  me  a  thief!"  He  nearly 
broke  down  as  he  bade  his  mother  good- 
bye. "I  never  thought  I  would  bring  dis- 
gpace  upon  my  mother's  gray  hair  by  be- 
iag  lodged  in  a  felon's  cell." 

As  she  kissed  him  she  said:  "I  believe 
they  do  trust  you;  but  circumstances  are 
against  you.  I  suppose  you  must  go,  but 
let  us  hope  it  won't  be  for  long.  Eight  will 
triumph  in  the  end." 

"Write  Lavinia,"  he  whispered,  "that  I 
am  detained  by  business.  I  know  she 
would  believe  me  innocent;  but  I  wish  to 
spare  her  grief." 

The  days  lengthened  into  weeks  and  still 
no  clue  to  the  thief.  The  money  and  notes 
were  gone,  and  all  the  evidence  pointed  to 
Ainmi  as  the  guilty  one.  The  letter  was 
very  much  against  him.  He  must  await 
trial,  unless  a  kind  Providence  should  in- 
tervene. 


138  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

Sometimes  God  seems  to  have  deserted 
us  in  our  trouble  to  test  our  faith  and  show 
us  how  manifold  are  his  ways  of  deliver- 
ance. Dark  clouds  make  the  sunset  more 
brilliant,  and  "stars  shine  most  in  deeper 
tints  of  blue." 

The  most  comforting  thought  to  Ammi 
\vas  that  he  was  innocent;  but  what  if 
nothing  transpired  at  the  trial  to  prove  his 
innocence,  the  circumstantial  evidence 
might  place  him  in  prison  for  several  years. 
He  certainly  would  not  be  acquitted  unless 
the  thief  was  found.  The  thought  made 
him  shudder!  Separated  from  Lavinia, 
— "it  may  be  for  years — it  may  be  forever!" 

When  three  weeks  had  passed  he  desired 
his  mother  to  write  Lavinia  another  letter, 
telling  her  all;  but  'ere  the  letter  reached 
her  she  had  read  the  startling  news  in  a 
daily  paper.  The  head  lines  were  enough, 
she  could  read  no  further. 

"Ten  Thousand  Stolen!"    "Treasurer  of 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  139 

the  Diamond  Paper  Co.  tries  to  Abscond." 
"Ammi  Wright  Proves  to  be  Amini 
Wrong."  "Now  Boarding  at  the  Melbourne 
Prison." 

She  hoped  against  hope;  but  when  the 
letter  came,  she  broke  down  completely. 

"You  once  helped  me  bear  up  under  a 
great  sorrow,"  Mrs.  Erskin  began;  "now 
let  me  help  you  bear  this.  Try  to  be  hope- 
ful. There  must  be  some  mistake." 

As  her  most  intimate  friends  read  the 
terrible  news,  they  sent  her  letters  of  sym- 
pathy and  assurance  of  Ammi's  honesty; 
but  she  would  read  none  of  them  until  her 
mother  said:  "Do  read  Aunt  Charlotte 
Abbott's  letter.  It  will  help  you  to  believe 
that  God's  will  is  best." 

Concord,  June  7,  188—. 
My  Dearest  Lavinia: — 

My  own  words  are  inadequate  to  express  the  sym- 
pathy of  my  heart.  These  verses  are  the  most  com- 
forting of  anything  I  ever  read.  May  they  give  you 
strength. 


140  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

GOD  KNOWETH  BEST. 

"Sometime,  when  all  life's  lessons  have  been  learned. 

And  sun  and  stars  forever  more  have  set, 
The  things  which  our  weak  judgments  here   have 
spurned, 

The  things  o'er  which  we  grieved  with  lashes  wet 
Will  flash  before  us,  out  of  life's  dark  night, 

As  stars  shine  most  in  deeper  tints  of  blue, 
And  we  shall  see  how  all  God's  plans  were  right, 

And  how  what  seemed  reproof,  was  love  most  true. 

"And  if  sometimes  commingled  with  life's  wine 

We  find  the  wormwood  and  rebel  and  shrink, 
Be  sure  a  wiser  hand  than  yours  or  mine, 

Pours  out  this  portion  for  our  lips  to  drink. 
If  we  could  push  ajar  the  gates  of  life, 

And  stand  within  and  all  God's  workings  see, 
We  could  interpret  all  this  doubt  and  strife, 

And  for  each  mystery  could  find  the  key. 

"But  not  to-day;  then  be  content,  poor  heart, 

God's  plans,  like  lilies  pure  and  white  unfold, 
We  must  not  tear  the  close-shut  leaves  apart 

Time  will  reveal  the  calyxes  of  gold. 
And  if  thro'  patient  toil,  we  reach  the  land 

Where  tired  feet  with  sandals  loose,  may  rest, 
Where  we  shall  clearly  know  and  understand 

I  think  that  we  shall  say,  'God  Knew  the  Best.'  " 

"It  is  hard  to  say,"  Lavinia  said,  "but  I 
will  try  to  think  God's  ways  are  best." 


THE  SONG  OF  THE  SEA. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  141 

When  the  appointed  day  came,  June 
20th,  Lavinia  said  to  her  mother:  "If  I 
was  down  by  the  sea*  I  should  feel  better; 
there  is  always  something  so  restful  and 
peaceful  about  the  ocean." 

Mrs.  Erskin  wrote,  Mrs.  Winship,  and  the 
following  week  they  started  for  Newport, 
knowing  that  it  would  be  a  quiet  summer. 

They  spent  many  a  day  on  the  rocks, 
watching  the  waves  idly  chasing  each 
other  up  the  hard,  sandy  beach;  Lavinia 
with  a  book  and  Mrs.  Erskin  and  Mrs.  Win- 
ship  sometimes  with  their  embroidery,  lis- 
tening as  she  read  aloud. 

One  day,  as  she  strolled  along  the  shin- 
ing sand,  a  wave  seemed  to  be  having  a 
frolic;  now  going  far  out,  and  then,  with- 
out the  slightest  warning,  chasing  her  sev- 
eral feet  farther  than  the  other  waves 
dared  come.  As  it  receded,  she  noticed  a 
scrap  of  paper  that  was  cast  up  by  the 


142  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

sea.    It  was  only  a  torn  piece,  but  it  seemed 
a  message  to  her,  as  she  read: 

"  'O!  Nature  is  well!'  sang  the  sea  to  me 
Tho'  the  children  of  men  are  sad  and  blind, 
You  must  draw  your  lessons  out  of  its  breast 

You  must  seek  and  find. 
Nature  has  patience.    It  knows  full  well 
That  darkness  only  endures  for  a  time, 
That  daylight  will  come  by  the  laws  of  life, 
Like  a  merry  rhyme. 

"It  knows  that  the  storm  will  be  lulled  in  peace 
That  after  the  showers,  the  sun  will  glow, 
While  flower  and  field  will  spring  afresh 
From  the  Winter's  snow. 

"And  human  love  is  as  strong  as  fate, 
As  tender  as  nature,  yet  nature,  too, 
The  healing  balm  of  its  quiet  comes 

Like   Nature's   dew. 
So  into  my  heart  the  song  of  the  sea 
I  took  forever  and  found  it  best, 
In  human's  love  and  in  nature's  heart 

We  may  trust  and  rest." 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  143 


CHAPTER   XV. 

"Back  on  its  golden  hinges 
The  gate  of  Memory  swings, 
And  my  heart  goes  into  the  garden 
And  walks  with  the  olden  things." 

"The  years  are  one  by  one  like  petals  shaken  from 
out  the  blossoms  of  the  century." 

"Purple  for  shadows,  gold  for  sunshine, 
White  for  the  clouds  on  high. 
Brown  for  the  earth  that  gave  them  birth, 
ind  blue  for  the  azure  sky. 

"Pansies  for  thoughts,  some  gay  and  glad, 
And  some  that  are  sweetly,  softly  sad — 
Life's  joys  and  sorrows  typified — 
By  the  pansies  that  came  from  Sunnyside." 

At  the  October  term  of  court  the  case 
came  up  for  trial,  and  as  there  were  no  de- 
velopments —  the  only  evidence  being 
against  him — Ammi  was  sentenced  to 
three  years. 

When  Lavinia  heard  the  decision,  she 


144:  THE  ..GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

felt  that  she  must  go  and  plead  in  his  be- 
half; but  Australia  was  so  far  away,  and 
of  course  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  go 
alone. 

Her  suffering  was  almost  unbearable. 
At  times  it  seemed  as  though  her  strength 
would  fail. 

She  had  been  out  of  the  office  for  nearly 
a  year,  and  as  a  diversion,  to  take  her  mind 
from  her  trouble,  she  became  somewhat 
interested  in  literary  work.  She  must  do 
something  beside  think  of  Ammi — not 
once  did  she  doubt  him,  and  the  thoughts 
of  his  unjust  treatment  nearly  drove  her 
niad. 

Ever  since  Mr.  Ferguson  told  her  that 
she  would  succeed  in  literature  she  occa- 
sionally had  thoughts  of  writing  the  story 
of  her  life,  but  the  occasion  had  never  pre- 
sented itself.  One  day,  in  scanning  the 
columns  of  a  magazine,  she  found  a  prize 
essay  on  "My  Favorite  Novel,  and  Why  I 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  145 

Like  It,"  awarded  to  Katharine  Hampton 
as  the  best  of  one  hundred  and  one  essays 

submitted. 

My  favorite  novel,  the  one  which  I  read  oftenest,  is 
William  Black's  "Strange  Adventures  of  a  Phaeton." 
It  has  stood  the  test  of  being  re-read  again  and  again, 
and  that  severest  of  all  tests,  being  read  aloud. 

My  reasons  for  liking  it  are  quite  as  much  negative 
as  positive.  I  read  novels  for  amusement,  for  relaxa- 
tion from  the  strain  imposed  by  a  busy  life  in  which 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  close  mental  application.  I 
have  no  desire  to  transform  my  heart  into  a  harp  of 
a  thousand  strings,  upon  which  the  novelist  may  play 
any  wild  or  sad  music  which  his  errant  fancy  or 
empty  pocketbook  dictates.  I  do  not  wish  to  weep 
over  the  trials  of  any  heroine,  however  charming,  for 
I  can  see  sorrow  and  tragedy  enough  in  real  life.  I 
do  not  care  to  be  thrilled  by  the  story  of  heroic  and 
usually  impossible  sacrifices  and  wonderful  achieve- 
ments, because  these  lofty  emotions,  though  no  doubt 
praiseworthy,  are  apt  to  be  rather  fatiguing.  I  do  not 
wish  to  solve  any  philosophical  puzzles,  or  follow  a 
hero,  or  a  coward,  no  matter  how  handsome  he  may 
be,  through  a  sea  of  religious  doubts  and  question- 
ings. 

The  standard  by  which  I  judge,  not  of  the  literary 
ability  displayed  in  a  novel,  but  as  to  whether  it  is 
agreeable  to  me  or  not,  is  this:  Does  it  tell  the  story 
of  a  life  or  an  episode  in  which  it  would  have  been 
pleasant  for  me  to  have  a  part? 

***** 


146  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

I  live  for  a  whole  month  with  pleasant  people,  who 
have  left  the  whiplash  of  work  and  worry  behind 
them.  Even  the  thought  of  taxes  due  before  they  re- 
turn, rouses  them  to  only  a  little  momentary  spar- 
ring. When  people  have  risen  to  this  height,  or  de- 
scended to  this  level,  call  it  whichever  you  will,  shall 
they  not  be  charming  companions?  Yea,  verily.  They 
have  thrown  aside  the  cares  and  many  of  the  re- 
straints of  this  workaday  world,  and  with  all  the 
might  of  a  somewhat  active  imagination,  I  make  be- 
lieve that  I  am  with  them.  They  care  very  little 
where  they  will  eat  their  next  meal,  sure  that  so  long 
as  they  keep  on  the  road,  and  shilling  and  pence 
retain  their  influence  over  the  human  race,  they  will 
eat  it  somewhere.  To  me,  possessing  a  perfect  passion 
for  travel  and  an  out-door  life,  this  is  the  very  apoth- 
eosis of  vagabondism. 

Even  so  prosaic  a  thing  as  a  rainstorm  is  made 
poetic  and  entertaining.  We  feel  a  growing  respect  for 
people  who  can  take  getting  wet  so  cheerfully.  In- 
deed, they  seem,  rather  to  enjoy  it,  and  as  I  am  dry  and 
warm,  I  enjoy  it,  too,  and  question  whether  indiffer- 
ence to  the  weather  has  not,  after  all,  some  subtle 
connection  with  the  spiritual  state  indicated  in  the 
adage,  "Be  good  and  you  will  be  happy,"  or,  if  the  two 
are  not  interchangeable,  because  who  but  the  happy 
can  be  good  when  dripping  wet.  It  is  certainly  an 
enviable  state  of  mind,  and  as  I  am  sharing  their 
adventures  I  feel  a  comfortable  glow  of  self-approba- 
tion, a  sort  of  good  conscience  at  second-hand. 

The  blood  of  my  English  ancestors,  though  filtered 
through  more  than  two  hundred  years  of  Yankee  pat- 
riotism, stirs  strongly  in  my  veins  as  I  read  the  names 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  147 

of  the  places  that  I  am  sure  I  have  visited  in  some 
previous  existence,  but  never,  alas,  in  this. 

In  short,  I  have  a  happy  holiday,  and  as  I,  for  the 
time  being,  live  in  any  book  that  is  sufficiently  inter- 
esting to  hold  my  attention  I  like  this  one  because  I 
enjoy  the  companionship  of  Queen  Tita  and  the  rest 
on  this  sunny  pilgrimage. 

Having  finished  reading  it,  Lavinia  ex- 
claimed half  aloud:  "Would  the  story  of 
my  life  answer  this  description?  Surely 
it  has  been  a  pleasant  life  to  live,  although 
some  shadows  as  well  as  sunshine;  still — 

"If  shadows  o'er  thee  fall, 

Faith  still  can  see 
The  Father's  smile  through  all, 
Sunshine  to  thee! 

"Choose  for  thy  daily  walk 

Life's  sunny  side"; 
So  shall  all  peace  and  joy 
With  thee  abide. 

"Then  look  above, 

Whate'er  betide, 
And  choose  with  heart  of  love, 
Life's  sunny  side:" 

She  wrote  the  first  three  chapters,  then 
laid  them  aside,  saying:  "If  I  finish  the 


148  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

book,  it  will  be  severely  criticized.  Still, 
opposition  or  criticism  to  a  book  is  like  the 
tail  of  a  kite:  very  necessary  for  its  as- 
cension— above  the  literary  horizon,"  and 
before  the  year  was  ended,  she  had  writ- 
ten all  but  the  last  chapter,  wondering  how 

her  book  of  life  would  end. 

******* 

"To-morrow,  Dick  will  be  twenty-one," 
Lavinia  said,  addressing  her  mother.  "I 
must  write  him  a  birthday  letter,  and  for- 
get my  own  sorrow  by  thinking  of  others." 

Boston,  188— 
My  Dearest  Cousin  Dick: 

Ere  this  reaches  you,  you  will  have  passed  the  boun- 
dary between  youth  and  manhood — your  twenty-first 
birthday  —  twenty-one  milestones  of  the  journey  of 
life,  the  greatest  crisis  in  a  man's  life. 

Who  can  be  freer  than  a  U.  S.  citizen  of  twenty-one 
summers?  Free  to  vote  for  Grover  if  he  so  chooses 
— free  to  take  the  narrow  path  or  the  broad  road,  free 
to  ask  the  woman  of  his  choice  to  share  his  joys. 

I  wish  you  much  happiness,  dear  Dick;    may  you 
pass  many  more  milestones  ere  your  journey  is  ended. 
With  best  wishes  of 

LAVINIA. 


DICK. 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  149 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

The  days  are  made  on  a  loom,  whereof  the  warp  and 
woof  are  past  and  present  time. — Emerson. 

Mrs.  Winship  had  been  troubled  with 
heart  disease  for  several  years,  but  of  late 
the  spells  were  more  frequent  and  of  longer 
duration.  She  had  just  recovered  from  a 
severe  attack,  when  she  said  to  her  sister: 

"Have  the  maid  telephone  for  my  law- 
yers; I  have  decided  to  make  a  new  will 
before  another  spell  comes  on." 

For  several  months  she  had  seemed 
troubled  over  something — she  was  hardly 
satisfied  with  her  last  will. 

"Whenever  I  think  of  making  my  will," 
she  said,  "it  always  brings  to  mind  the 
story  of  'Eugenia  and  the  hundred  thou- 
sand francs' — you  may  have  heard  it. 

"The    Empress    Eugenia    once    offered 


150  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

100,000  francs  for  the  best  answers  to 
three  prize  questions  at  the  Paris  Expo- 
sition: 

"1.    What  is  love? 

"2.    What  is  happiness? 

"3.  What  would  you  do  with  the  100,- 
000  francs? 

"A  professor  of  the  Dublin  University 
gave  such  clever  answers  that  the  Empress 
assigned  him  the  money. 

"The  answers  were: 

"Love  is  the  ensign  under  which  woman 
exacts  her  tribute. 

"Happiness  is  the  perfume  of  a  paper 
rose. 

"I  would  spend  the  100,000  francs  in  em- 
bellishing the  tombs  of  my  ancestors,  be- 
cause they  never  could  repay  me  with  in- 
gratitude. 

"I  don't  think  Lavinia  would  repay  me 
with  ingratitude;  she  has  always  been  so 
kind  and  thoughtful,  and  considerate  of 


THE   GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  151 

others — not  the  least  selfish.  I  would  have 
adopted  her  long  ago  if  she  hadn't  been  her 
mother's  only  comfort.  I  am  sure  she  will 
appreciate  the  money  and  make  a  good  use 
of  it." 

Soon  the  lawyers  entered,  and,  address- 
ing Mr.  Stevens,  the  elder  gentleman,  she 
said:  "I  have  decided  to  divide  my  prop- 
erty equally,  giving  a  third  to  each*— nay 
daughter  Marie,  my  sister  Frances,  and 
Lavinia  Erskin.  Draw  up  another  will," 
as  she  spoke  tearing  up  the  one  she  held 
in  her  hand. 

"My  property,  as  you  know,  is  in  gov- 
ernment bonds;  pulp  mill  stock,  which  is 
paying  24  per  cent  this  year;  and  Boston 
and  Albany  stocks. 

"I  want  Lavinia  to  have  a  third  of  my 
property,  wThich  will  amount  to  a  million 
in  all  for  her." 

The  papers  were  duly  drawn,  signed  and 
filed,  and  with  a  sigh  of  relief  Mr.s.  Win- 


152  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

ship  leaned  back  in  her  chair.  There  was 
a  fluttering  and  a  slight  trembling  of  the 
lips,  and  the  spirit  had  flown  to  its  mate 
on  the  other  shore. 

Lavinia  and  Mrs.  Erskin  were  much 
grieved  at  the  loss  of  one  who  had  been  so 
near  and  dear  to  them. 

It  was  several  months  before  Lavinia 
knew  the  contents  of  the  will;  she  was 
almost  as  much  surprised  as  delighted. 

"This  is  really  like  a  dream,"  she  ex- 
claimed, "now  I  can  rescue  Ammi — I  will 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  prove  his  inno- 
cence, and  bring  to  justice  the  villain  who 
would  lay  his  crime  upon  an  innocent 
man! 

"Then  I  can  finish  my  book.  That  will  be 
a  fitting  chapter  for  its  last.  After  it  is 
published  I  shall  have  a  boat  built  that  will 
weather  any  sea,  and  with  my  friends  take 
a  trip  round  the  world,  visiting  every 


THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH.  153 

kiiown  land,  taking  three  years  for  the 
complete  voyage." 

She  immediately  had  detectives  sent  to 
Australia,  with  instructions  to  find  the 
thief,  at  any  cost. 

"I  can't  spend  my  money  in  any  better 
way  than  to  obtain  Ammi's  liberty,"  she 
said. 

The  only  clue  they  had  to  begin  with  was 
the  letter.  It  must  have  been  written  by 
someone  familiar  with  Ammi's  writing. 
By  looking  over  the  books  in  the  office, 
they  found  the  writing  of  the  assistant 
treasurer  did  not  always  look  the  same. 
Upon  inquiry  it  was  learned  that  he  had 
left  the  company  about  six  months  after 
the  affair  on  account  of  some  trouble  with 
the  new  treasurer.  The  detectives  traced 
him  to  London — that  beehive  of  humanity, 
where  one  might  lose  his  identity  among 
the  throng — and  by  disguising  themselves 
and  getting  him  interested  in  mining  stock, 


154  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

found  that  he  had  more  money  than  clerks 
usually  possess,  and  also  that  he  could 
copy  any  handwriting,  getting  him  to  copy 
one  for  them  to  send  to  the  mining  com- 
pany, when  one  of  them  feigned  sickness. 
After  watching  him  carefully  several 
weeks,  until  they  were  almost  sure  of  their 
man,  they  showed  him  Ammi's  letter.  So 
unexpected  was  it,  from  those  who  had 
passed  as  his  friends,  that  he  showed  signs 
of  guilt.  They  immediately  arrested  him, 
and  when  he  found  himself  their  prisoner, 
confessed  all. 

The  discovery  was  telegraphed  Lavima, 
who,  with  her  mother  and  Uncle  Abbott, 
took  the  next  steamer  for  London. 

In  the  meantime  the  case  had  been  ap- 
pealed to  another  court,  and  as  the  judge 
was  about  to  pronounce  the  prisoner 
guilty,  there  was  a  commotion  in  the  hall; 
two  carriages  had  hurriedly  driven  from 
the  steamer  just  arrived,  and  the  occu- 


TtfE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  155 

pants — none  other  than  Lavinia's  party, 
who  had  left  London  as  soon  as  the  neces- 
sary papers  could  be  obtained  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  prisoner,  hastened  into  the 
court  room. 

Mr.  Abbott  said,  addressing  the  judge: 
"May  it  please  your  Honor  to  listen  to  the 
latest  witness  before  giving  the  decision 
of  the  court?" 

"Will  the  detectives  bring  him  for- 
ward?" 

Stepping  before  the  crowd,  he  said,  in 
faltering  words:  "Ammi  Wright  is  still 
right,  if  things  have  gone  wrong.  I,  Kobert 
Whitney,  am  the  guilty  man!" 

Cheers  went  up  from  all  parts  of  the 
house.  Ammi's  mother  had  to  be  carried 
from  the  room,  the  sudden  joy  was  too 
great  for  her  shattered  nerves,  exhausted 
by  long  waiting  and  hoping  against  hope. 

"In  far-away  Oshkosh,"  he  continued, 
"I  learned  that  Ammi  Wright  was  my  sue- 


156  THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH. 

cessful  rival  for  the  hand  of  the  fairest, 
noblest  woman  God  ever  made.  I  vowed 
eternal  vengeance,  and  followed  him  to 
Australia,  where  I  obtained  a  position  in 
his  office.  Knowing  of  his  intended  de- 
parture and  future  happiness,  I  planned  to 
ruin  him,  if  possible.  The  letter,  which  I 
wrote,  worked  like  a  charm.  The  money 
I  hid  in  an  old  well  for  several  months, 
but  when  I  could  endure  it  no  longer  I 
purposely  had  trouble  with  the  new  treas- 
urer, and  left  for  London.  The  rest  of  the 
story  you  already  know." 

The  judge  said:  "The  happiest  sentence 
I  have  given  this  year  is,  'Ammi  Wright 
is  a  free  man!'  Release  the  prisoner." 

As  he  came  forward,  Lavinia  ran  eagerly 
to  meet  him,  and  would  have  fallen  had  he 
not  caught  her  in  his  arms. 

"My  own,  brave  girl,"  he  whispered,  as 
she  opened  her  eyes.  "It  is  all  due  to  your 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  157 

love  and  perseverance  that  I  am  once  more 
free!" 

Early  the  next  week,  there  was  a  quiet 
wedding  at  the  hotel,  and  among  the  list 
of  passengers  for  Boston  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ammi  Wright  and  party. 

Before  their  departure,  the  Diamond 
Paper  Company  tried  to  repair  the  wrong 
they  had  done  him  by  sending  a  check  for 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  which  he  de- 
clined, saying  that  his  liberty  was  all  he 
washed. 

******* 

It  is  three  years  since  Mrs.  Winship's 
death.  The  book  is  published.  The 
"Winship"  lies  at  her  moorings  in  New 
York  harbor,  ready  for  the  first  of  the  1095 
happy  days.  She  is  a  model  of  the  "City  of 
Paris,"  built  by  the  same  company. 

Let  us  glance  inside.  Each  one  of  the 
party  has  a  suite  of  three  rooms.  There 
is,  beside  the  dining  room,  a  large  concert 


158  THE  GIRL  PROM  OSHKOSH. 

hall  and  an  immense  library.  Lavinia  has 
a  private  library,  where  she  hopes  to  spend 
a  portion  of  each  day  in  writing  her  travels 
"Around  the  World  in  Three  Years." 

An  hour  a  day  is  to  be  spent  in  each- 
study,  reading,  writing,  music,  games,  etc., 
one  evening  a  week  devoted  to  astronomy, 
an  excellent  chance  being  afforded  as  they 
pass  through  the  tropics. 

Lavinia,  standing  by  Ammi  and  her 
mother,  greets  all  her  old  friends,  and  wel- 
comes them,  as  one  by  one  they  come 
aboard.  It  is  indeed  a  merry  party.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Abbott,  Marguerite,  Dick;  Marie  Win- 
ship,  Mr.  Ferguson  and  Mrs.  Winship's  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Sherman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson, 
their  two  children  and  maids;  Geneva,  Mr. 
Ames,  Tom  Tatham,  Mr.  Berghardt,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hale,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McNaughton, 
nee  Victoria  Heathcoate  Howard;  her  hus- 
band having  died,  and  she  had  married 
again;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Van  Norman  and  son 


THE  GIRL  FROM  OSHKOSH.  159 

Leon,  of  Auburndale,  very  dear  friends  of 
Lavinia.  Also  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  of  Oshkosh. 

Standing  near  the  "Stars  and  Stripes," 
which  float  proudly  in  the  breeze,  the  Arion 
band,  which  is  to  accompany  them,  plays, 
"My  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee,"  as  the  "Wm- 
ship"  glides  past  the  statue  of  Liberty,  and 
the  last  sweet  strain  that  is  borne  back  to 
the  lingering  friends  is,  "Land  of  the  noble 
free,  Thy  name  I  love." 

"And  the  years  glide  by." 

THE   END. 


A     000  036  366    3 


